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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

France expects sanctions to soften Iran

2006-09-11

ABU DHABI: French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Sunday that Iran would likely change tactics on its nuclear programme for fear that sanctions might spark a domestic backlash. "Discontent among the Iranian people over the prospect of sanctions could make the regime change tack," Douste-Blazy said in Abu Dhabi as he wrapped up a brief visit to the United Arab Emirates.

"The regime may fear the reaction of its own public opinion," he told a joint news conference with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan. "If it appreciated the risk of isolation hanging over the country, it would not be ready to pay the price of it," he added, stressing the importance to the Iranian regime of a negotiated settlement of the standoff over its nuclear programme. Iran said earlier said the question of it suspending uranium enrichment as demanded by the international community was a "thing of the past".

Posted by:Fred

#20 Barbara, one thing is for sure. Either option involves large amounts of horseshit.

Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-11 21:07

#19 "France expects sanctions to soften Iran"

And I expect a free pony to wander up to my door.

Guess who'll be right first.

Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-09-11 19:42

#18 I have a slightly different method Bobby, I just make boneheaded comments off the cuff and piss off everyone.

Hey! Don't be crowding my turf, bigjim-ky!

I appreciate the backup, JerseyMike, gromgoru and CrazyFool. So much of this world is delusional about Iran that it is simply incredible. I have no doubts that Russia and China comprehend exactly what Iran is up to. As with "The Three Conjectures", and unlike ourselves, they have zero compunctions about going in and glassing Iran if the mullahs make any trouble for them. Anything else is hunky-dory, as it complicates life for the West. Which is why Russia and China are the true terrorists. Islam is just a bothersome and distracting sideshow by comparison.

Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-11 16:19

#17 #7 bigjim

It's a perfectly valid approach. Usually the bone-headed stuff would work best if you don't care much about serving the lowest common denominator all the time by being PC!

We'll get you to be in charge of policy about Iran, Syria, and NorK. Anybody who whines about your policies should be taken out with precisely targeted operations. 100MT nukes should do the trick. Make sure you have several on hand because they don't learn easily. :-)

Posted by: gorb 2006-09-11 14:13

#16 Hi, TW!

Yes, you did! :-)

Posted by: gorb 2006-09-11 13:32

#15 Did I get over it, gorb?

Posted by: trailing wife 2006-09-11 13:00

#14 LiberalHawk:

Or, all of the above.

Posted by: DarthVader 2006-09-11 12:32

#13 explanations

1. Bolton is really persuasive, and hes gotten the French to go along
2. The French are tougher than we thought.
3. The Iranian behavior has been so outrageous, esp the defiant statements about the UNSC, that the French cant not support sanctions without losing too much face
4. The French think theres huge profits to be made in smuggling
5. The French figure that the Chinese and Russians will veto anyway, so no point in pissing off the US.

Posted by: liberalhawk 2006-09-11 10:54

#12 Good points Zenster.

And don't forget that lying is allowed, even encouraged, under Islam as long as it 'advances Islam' and since nutjob thinks he is (or at least acts for) the 12th Iman....

I might add that the French might be willing and knowing accomplishes to this as well. It wouldn't be the first time they sold people out.

If its because they think they might benefit when Europe is under the nuclear-islamic sword or because they might benefit from an Oil-For-Palaces type arrangement makes little difference.

Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-09-11 10:38

#11 Hear, hear, Zenster!

Posted by: gromgoru 2006-09-11 10:16

#10 Perhaps what the esteemed Froggie Foreign Minister means is that sanctions would provide numerous oportunities for under the table business ventures like the charming Oil For Palaces deal and other sanction avoiding scams in Iraq.

Posted by: SteveS 2006-09-11 09:00

#9 Vichey France contained Hitler....didn't it? No more French Jews slaughtered after that right?

Posted by: Besoeker 2006-09-11 07:36

#8 Agreed Zenster. Nice, concise & EXACTLY right.

Posted by: JerseyMike 2006-09-11 07:31

#7 I have a slightly different method Bobby, I just make boneheaded comments off the cuff and piss off everyone.

Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-09-11 07:29

#6 If you've never had someone post while you were composing, you haven't been here long!

I try to indicate to which comment I am responding, either by comment number, or name. Cuts down on the 'crossfire'.

Posted by: Bobby 2006-09-11 06:57

#5 .com:

I wasn't replying to your comment or disagreeing with it. It was a parallel comment. The "Duh" just means I think it's part of what they're thinking and stupid at the same time.

I've had this happen before. Just because one comment follows another doesn't mean there's a connection. Be careful! I once typed a comment and didn't hit the "Submit" button for a while. In the meanwhile, TW had submitted something and mine followed shortly thereafter. I didn't see it, but she thought I was attacking her because of the "wording" I used, even thought it wasn't related. It just so happened that the author of some LLL article happened to be a female, too. ;-)

Posted by: gorb 2006-09-11 04:35

#4 Iran will do anything, say anything, sign any agreement, attend any talks necessary for whatever length of time if it stalls military intervention long enough for them to fabricate atomic weapons. Nothing else even remotely comes close on their agenda in terms of this priority.

They would stuff the 12^th imam straight back down his well if it delayed their nuclear aspirations even a single millisecond.

To think otherwise is the height of suicidal folly.

Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-11 03:51

#3 Duh?

Lol, you confuse your personal views with Persian Mullah calculus, methinks. They will do whatever suits their ends. If they can resurrect and sell the Hidden Imam to the faithful, then surely they can peddle the *wink wink nudge nudge* "Okay, we'll 'suspend' while we talk if it means you won't harm our wonderful people with your illegal sanctions." line - since every True Believer knows they would suspend nothing. It's even the headline on another story today... Or didn't you follow the "pretend" and "they'll win" aspects of my comment? I thought it was clear enough.

Duh, buddy.

Posted by: .com 2006-09-11 03:32

#2 The important thing to the Iranian regime is to look good so they can stay in power. It won't look good if they give it up after elevating it onto the highest pedestal possible. Duh.

Posted by: gorb 2006-09-11 03:26

#1 In truth, the only thing I fear is that Iran will accept the EU's "package" of goodies and pretend to suspend their program. If they did, they would win.

Posted by: .com 2006-09-11 02:32

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