US Pentagon adviser says France should not see America as an opponent

Associated Press ^

[RCW2001]

It would be a "shame" if French President Jacques Chirac identified the United States as an adversary for the sake of European unity, an adviser to the US Defense Department said in remarks broadcast Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, I think that President Chirac conceives of Europe as a counterweight to the United States," Richard Perle, chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board, told France-Inter radio.

Chirac has been a leading critic of quick US-led military action against Iraq, arguing that more time is needed for UN inspectors to find and destroy Baghdad's weapons of mass destruction.

Some have accused Chirac of taking a high-profile stance on Iraq to bolster France's standing in the 15-member European Union.

Perle, whose board advises Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on policy issues, said that Washington has been accustomed to a France that is more an ally than a counterweight.

"It's possible to be a friendly counterweight," he said, according to the radio station's French translation of his comments. "But we'll have to see how far he wants to take this concept."

"It would be a great shame if the French president thinks that he needs to identify the United States as an opponent to construct the European Union," Perle said in the interview, conducted in Washington.

Perle also reiterated that United Nations resolution 1441, passed last year to push for Iraqi disarmament, may be enough to justify military action against Iraq. Washington is promoting a second UN resolution that would authorize force against Baghdad.

However, the French Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it believes that the majority of the 15 UN Security Council members who must vote on any resolution favor the stance taken by Paris.

"We still think a large majority is favorable to the pursuit of inspections and their reinforcement," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau.

A French diplomatic source said France believes it has 10, perhaps 11, nations with it, more than enough negative votes to block a second resolution. The source asked not to be further identified.

"If there is no new resolution, then the last resolution is the one that prevails, and we can interpret that to mean what it says: there will be serious consequences," he said.

[demosthenes the elder]

Counterweight? Hah! More like "dead weight"

[ChadGore]

Our "Counterweight" to the whole of europe would be the state of California.

[EternalHope]

France is now a flat out enemy of the United States.

Perle knows this. His comments are a diplomat's way of saying we know what is going on, and that France will regret what they are doing unless they change.

Perle also knows the French will not change, and that he is therefore wasting his breath. However, the attempt has to be made.

We will take care of business in Iraq first. We will get to France in due time. We will not attack them militarily, but they WILL pay. Big time.

France can kiss their sweatheart oil deals with Iraq goodby, just for starters.

Then we may decide to go public with the list of goodies Sodamned got from France.

Then we get personal, and talk about the cozy personal relationship Sodamned had with Chirac before Sodamned's untimely demise. And where did you get all that money, Jacques? You know, the stuff in Swiss account #_____?

Oh yes, France will pay. So will Chirac.