Posted on 01/19/2006 10:51:07 PM PST by tgambill
President Jacques Chirac for the first time on Thursday raised the threat of a nuclear response to states that launch "terrorist" attacks against France.
"Leaders of any state that uses terrorist means against us, as well as any that may be envisaging -- in one way or another -- using weapons of mass destruction, must understand that they would be exposing themselves to a firm and appropriate response on our behalf," he said.
"That response could be conventional, it could also be of another nature," Chirac said in a clear reference to nuclear weapons during a visit to a French nuclear base in the northwestern region of Brittany.
Chirac said that France had configured its nuclear arsenal to be able to respond "flexibly and reactively" to any threat, by reducing the number of nuclear heads on certain missiles on board its submarines.
"Faced with a regional power, our choice is not between doing nothing an annihilating it," Chirac said.
The French president did not single out any country by name. Nor did he say that France's nuclear arsenal could be used against terrorist groups, as opposed to states, as is the case with the US nuclear doctrine changed under President George Bush.
Also in contrast to the United States, France has not developed so-called "mini-nukes" capable of striking specific military targets such as underground bunkers within a country. - AFP
Odd......what brought that on?
Man, you got me........I just read it...wow.....!!!!! left field...
Trying not to end up like Der Schroeder
Talk is cheap. We will see what happens when the chips are down. Will Chirac wait for 17 U.N. resolutions before he goes nuke?
Why do I get this feeling that something big is going on that us regular folk are not aware of yet? Some news, some threat... It's a little spooky.
The reason they were so against the Iraq war is that Saddam had them in his pocket. Believe me, the second ole Jacque felt Saddam was a threat he would have pulled the trigger.
France didn't wait for a UN Mandate to go into Algeria a couple of years back.
L
Did France get some NUCLEAR WHITE FLAGS?
Sounds like Bin Laden instant messaged him with something akin to "Sup Frog".
Jut think if Bush had said this, the rats and LMSM would be berserker's, or on sucide watch.
One would think the French riots (including deaths; buildings burned, lots and lots of cars burned) and the train incident would have given the French some reason to start being concerned.
Or...maybe the French are out of white flags.
France was making money off Saddam, don't kid yourself!
Yes, there is....good observation.....you can count on it...a very big "gig" is going on.
L
Zawahiri narrowly escapes. Bin Laden's tape. French nuclear threat. What does Debka say?
I think that since he has realized his internal problem, with fundies, that he is blowing wind......
Jut think if Bush had said this, the rats and LMSM would be berserker's, or on sucide watch.
******Exactly....what gives here.......??????
I believe you did! LOL (shrugs shoulders, "I'm blond")
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