US block on Iraq contracts upsets France, Germany (The Weasels Whine!)

Reuters ^ | 12/10/03

[areafiftyone]

PARIS, Dec 10 (Reuters) - France and Germany responded defiantly on Wednesday to a U.S. decision to bar their firms from competing for prime contracts to rebuild Iraq, a move which could open a new rift in troubled transatlantic relations.

The United States unveiled plans on Tuesday to limit competition for 26 reconstruction contracts in Iraq worth up to $18.6 billion, excluding countries such as Germany, France and Russia which opposed the war.

France said it would study whether the U.S. move was legal and Germany said it could not accept the U.S. decision.

"That would not be acceptable for the German government. And it wouldn't be in line with the spirit of looking to the future together and not into the past," a spokesman for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in Berlin.

He did not say what action Germany might take.

In an apparent affort not to sharpen the brewing diplomatic row with Washington, President Jacques Chirac, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and other ministers avoided reporters' questions after a cabinet meeting.

But a Foreign Ministry spokesman said France and its partners -- an apparent reference to Germany -- were studying the legality of the U.S. decision.

"We do not wish to comment at this stage," Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsou said in a statement.

"We are studying the compatibility of these decisions with international competition law together with our partners that are involved, notably in the European Union and the European Commission," he said, giving no other details.

TROUBLED TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

In a policy document released on Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz cited national security reasons for limiting competition for the prime contracts in Iraq. Firms from other countries can compete for sub-contracts.

The decision should go some way to placating countries such as Britain, Italy and Spain which provided troops to Iraq but whose firms were excluded from deals that went to U.S. firms.

The contracts cover electricity, communications, public buildings, transport, public works, security and justice. The decision is a new irritant in the relationship between the United States and other European countries, already dogged by differences over trade, defence and other issues.

U.S. President George W. Bush eased some of the friction last week by scrapping controversial steel duties he had imposed to protect U.S. producers, prompting the EU to say it would no longer strike back with retaliatory sanctions.

But mistrust remains on other trade issues and the creation of a European Union defence force to operate independently of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

France and Germany want the EU force to have a military headquarters independent of NATO. Washington opposes this.

Schroeder has recently visited the United States twice in an effort to repair political and business ties with Washington.

U.S. relations with France, which has a vision of a "multipolar" world which appears to run counter to the U.S. role as the world's only superpower, remain troubled.

Those relations could be further strained by a fraud case involving the acquisition by French bank Credit Lyonnais of the assets of failed U.S. insurance company Executive Life in 1991.

Under U.S. law at the time, banks could not own insurers, and under state law foreign governments were banned from owning California insurers. Credit Lyonnais was owned by the French government at the time of the Executive Life acquisition.

Failure to reach a settlement could push France into a long and costly court battle and sour ties with the United States.

[areafiftyone]

Just remember you Weasels the Iraqi people will not forget your anti-war cowardice either!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Whine, whine, whine. These people will know that the Bush administration means what they say.

[cynicom]

Well, the Krauts tried to get to Iraq during WW2, maybe they will try again and throw out those horrible Americans that did away with Saddasm, Hitlers son. The Germans and Russians both suffer butchery gracefully.

[XJarhead]

The amazing thing about this is that these are U.S. government contracts, financed by money approved by the U.S. Congress. Apparently, the French and Germans think we have some obligation to give them our tax dollars for Iraq, when they refuse to make any significant contribution of their own money for reconstruction.

That takes a lot of Gaul.

[NTegraT]

Did they think there'd be no price to pay?

[evad]

..the spirit of looking to the future together and not into the past..

Typical leftist philosophy,
aka "don't judge me on what I've done but what I say I'll do in the future".

aka "don't hold me accountable for anything".

[Diogenesis]

[finnman69]

Schadenfreude bump!

[MaeWest]

Bon mot, bon mot.

[evad]

Did they think there'd be no price to pay?

Actually, yes, they did.

Remember, these are the delusionaries that told Saddam that there would be no war, that they would keep the lid on W and that they were in control.

The krauts and frogs may never wake up... until it's too late.

[finnman69]

"That would not be acceptable for the German government. And it wouldn't be in line with the spirit of looking to the future together and not into the past," a spokesman for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in Berlin. He did not say what action Germany might take.

NOTHING. ZIPPO. NADA. NICHTS. Buisness as usual for the Germans.

[gunnedah]

Also this is American aid and its allies and thus we should hand it out accordingly.The damn Democrats are even whinning for France and Germany. God forbid this country elect another Democrat,hell they will surrender without a fight.
Clinton and the Democrat Policy of selling out is what has us in this quagmire to start with along with everyone of them running for president whinning and pointing fingers thay are aiding and abetting the enemy.
We may have to arm ourselves against the Democrats,seems they are doing as much damage as Bin Laden and Hussein.

[finnman69]

NOTHING for the Germans.

a good-for-nothing -- ein Taugenichts
do-nothing -- nichts tun
do-nothing instruction -- Leerbefehl
for nothing -- umsonst
for nothing -- vergebens
good for nothing -- nichtsnutzig
good for nothing -- zu nichts zu gebrauchen
good-for-nothing -- ein Taugenichts
He stops at nothing -- Er schreckt vor nichts zurueck
He stops at nothing. -- Er schreckt vor nichts zurueck.
He thinks nothing of it -- Er haelt nichts davon
He thinks nothing of it. -- Er haelt nichts davon.
I can make nothing of it. -- Ich kann daraus nicht klug werden.
I've nothing on tonight -- ich habe heute abend nichts vor
I've nothing on tonight. -- Ich habe heute abend nichts vor.
It came to nothing. -- Es wurde nichts daraus.
It's neck or nothing. -- Es geht um die Wurst.
It's nothing to write home about. -- Das ist nichts Besonderes.
leaves nothing to be desired -- laesst nichts zu wuenschen uebrig
much ado about nothing -- viel Laerm um nichts
next to nothing -- fast nichts
next to nothing -- so gut wie nichts
nichts -- nothing
nichtsnutzig -- good for nothing
nothing -- nichts
nothing -- null
nothing but lies -- nichts als (lauter) Luegen
nothing but lies -- nichts als lauter Luegen
nothing but lies -- nichts als Luegen
nothing but lies -- nichts als Luegen; nichts als lauter Luegen
nothing else remains to be done -- es bleibt nichts anderes uebrig
nothing mind -- nichts Besonderes
nothing of the sort -- nichts dergleichen
nothing on earth -- keine Macht der Welt
nothing to speak of -- nicht der Rede wert
nothing unfavourable -- nichts Unguenstiges
nothing will prevent you from -- nichts wird Sie zurueckhalten von
our profit would be next to nothing -- unser Gewinn waere gleicht nichts
practically nothing -- so gut wie nichts
that will lead to nothing -- das fuehrt zu nichts
That will lead to nothing. -- Das fuehrt zu nichts.
That's nothing to me. -- Das bedeutet mir nichts.
That's nothing to you. -- Das geht Sie nichts an.
That's nothing! -- Das ist eine Kleinigkeit!
there is nothing like travelling -- es geht nichts uebers Reisen
there's nothing more to be said -- jedes weitere Wort eruebrigt sich
to do nothing -- nichts tun
to feel like nothing on earth -- sich hundeelend fuehlen
to leave nothing undone -- nichts unversucht lassen
to say nothing of -- ganz zu schweigen von

[Tai_Chung]

France and Germany should teach the US a lesson by creating their own $20 billion Iraqi reconstruction fund and include the United States in the bidding.

[Unam Sanctam]

"That would not be acceptable for the German government. And it wouldn't be in line with the spirit of looking to the future together and not into the past," a spokesman for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in Berlin.

And I suppose the fact that Germany has not spent ONE SINGLE PFENNIG on Iraqi reconstruction constitutes "looking to the future"?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

easy for you to say

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I'm with ya!!!!!

[Tai_Chung]

Subject: European Language

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".


In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of the "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.


There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with the "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible .

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.


By the 4th yer peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" wit "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou"and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza.

Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Zen ve vil rul ze world!!

[geedee]

The amazing thing about this is that these are U.S. government contracts, financed by money approved by the U.S. Congress.

Can you imagine how pissed off us taxpayers would be if this wasn't handled this way?

Some say boycotts don't work . . . maybe so but I'm too dumb to figure out all that geopolitical nonsense. I just know I won't buy French or German products.

I'm too old and fat to fight these days, although I have in the past, and I consider my mini-boycott my own personal salute to the brave youngsters who're fighting in my stead. My government didn't convince me to boycott . . . even the threads on FR didn't convince me . . . I just know from experience that the best friend a person makes during their entire lifetime is the grunt serving in your foxhole with you.

I don't see any German or French grunts in Iraq. I don't see any German or French moola being poured into Iraq . . . although I've seen where a cacca-load of it was taken out.

Nah . . . woe be unto the person in my family who buys anything German or French. Childish? Perhaps. But it's my damn money.

[Sockdologer]

I like that!