France Lied to U.S. During Iraq Crisis (Book Excerpt)(GOOD READ)

Insight Magazine ^ | Posted April 2, 2004 | By Kenneth R. Timmerman

[Jewels1091]

For Secretary of State Colin Powell, the U.S.-French divorce began on Jan. 20, 2003, when French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin blindsided him during a press conference outside the U.N.

After a special session of the Security Council devoted to the war on terror, held at de Villepin's personal request, Powell had driven over to the French U.N. ambassador's official Park Avenue residence, where de Villepin was to host him to an exclusive lunch.

Instead, de Villepin stayed behind at the U.N. and announced to the world that France would never support a U.S.-led military intervention against Saddam Hussein. As Powell saw the man he thought was his friend appear on the video monitors in the French ambassador's residence his jaws dropped, says his deputy and confidant, Richard Armitage. "He was very unamused," Armitage recalls. "When he's unamused, he gets pretty cold. He puts the eyes on you and there is no doubt when his jaws are jacked. It's not a pretty sight."

During the session, de Villepin "preened and postured," recalled a deputy to U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte. After a tepid homage to the victims of 9/11, de Villepin urged the United Nations to take over the global fight against terror by sending international bureaucrats to Third World nations that were harboring or sponsoring terrorist groups. He wanted the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to get involved, and proposed a new international arms-control treaty to track the commercial use and shipment of radioactive materials, surely a move that would prove as useful in preventing nuclear terrorism as the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty has been in preventing nations such as Israel, Pakistan, India and North Korea from going nuclear.

"Let us look at things with lucidity," the Frenchman said finally, his voice quivering with compassion. "Terrorism feeds on injustice. So an equitable model of development is therefore necessary to definitely eradicate terrorism."

After briefly summarizing these proposals, which no one took seriously, de Villepin told the news cameras that he now wanted to say "a few words" about Iraq. That caught Powell's ear.

[OXENinFLA]

This is a MUST READ.

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[Quilla]

Thanks OXENinFLA. It just goes to show you how close this administration plays their cards to their vests. They could easily have spoken out and told us of France's duplicity, but they chose to remain above the fray. What honorable men we have defending this country.

[Jewels1091]

Feel free to do so....I thought everyone should read it. I thought my opinion of France couldn't go lower, I was wrong.

[Michael81Dus]

France & Germany will be our opponents in the next war.

Really? What makes you believing that? The fact that the sovereign Germany has decided not to support you? You expect a war between countries which don´t support you? Better you first start a war with the countries that openly threaten you!

[prairiebreeze]

Thank you for the ping. France is NOT our ally. Too bad John Fool Kerry wants us to think they are.

Prairie

[Howlin]

Is there a "France Haters" ping list? If so, I want ON it........LOL.

[Quilla]

Almost sad to say that I'm half French - my maiden name is as hard to pronounce as de Villepin. However, my ancestors must have figured something was up, they left France for America in 1657.

[MizSterious]

If you find one, or start one, I want on it too!

Saw Timmerman on Fox News last night, and if I wasn't fully qualified to be on the France Haters ping list before, I most certainly am now. I can't think of words to express this that could be used in polite society, so I'll keep it to myself. Grrrr.

[Howlin]

I saw him, too! Have you read his book? I just may have to go get it, if I think my heart can take it!

[Porterville]

Aren't the french in a severe recession? I here they are losing all their vineyards and armpit-stink factories.... I hope they get exactly what they deserve.

John Kerry just doesn't have any GRAVITAS!!

[MizSterious]

I'd be the last to hand you a tinfoil hat. Remember, some of the missiles we found after the war (illegal missiles I might add) were from France, and of recent vintage.

I have long maintained that in addition to the graft (oil for food) they were taking from Saddam, the other reason they were against the war was concern about what we would find, and which countries it would incriminate. Personally, I think we've found more than we've said publicly. I suspect it's being saved for a time when it will be more useful.

[MizSterious]

"Better you first start a war with the countries that openly threaten you!"

Oh, so the ones who secretly plot against us and give aid to our enemies (material and intel aid, no less) should be given a pass? Pul-leeze.

[MizSterious]

It's been ordered from amazon. I really need to read this one.

[Porterville]

This story makes me want to rip my eye-balls out of my head.... dirty french bastards.

[Michael81Dus]

Oh, so the ones who secretly plot against us and give aid to our enemies (material and intel aid, no less) should be given a pass? Pul-leeze.

Well, and here we go again: Tell me, which material and what intel infos did the German gvt offer to the regime of Saddam Hussein (who, btw, still believes he were president of Iraq)?

If you continue to claim that Germany gave aid to your enemies, how do you call the the (then-present) NBC-defense-bataillon in Kuwait, the Patriot systems to Turkey and Israel, the (matter-of-course) grant of overflight rights, the protection of all US facilities on German soil by the German Army (for free, to make US personnel available for war)?? And where would you treat your wounded soldiers if not in Germany (in US military as well as German civilian hospitals near Ramstein AB)?

Thanks, but no thanks. I´m sick and tired of these allegations. It wasn´t a great time for the transatlantic relations, but it wasn´t hostile!

Maybe AtlanticFriend, if still here, can tell you something about the French position.

[MizSterious]

Germany certainly had its share of the oil for food graft. They were on the take from Saddam. Now why might that be, I wonder? So they could be good friends and allies with the U.S.? I suspect not.

[Michael81Dus]

Who TH would have made profits from deals with Saddam? I mean, in Germany you find no big oil company - unlike in Russia and France. What I know is, that there were several armament industry business associations who have illegally dealt with Iraq, and I know that few of those businessmen were sentenced for that. I can see no political support for cooperation with Saddam; not with Kohl (bearer of the Medal of Freedom, Chancellor 1982-1998), nor with Schröder (in fact, his coalition partner, the Greens, reduced the arms exports).

[MizSterious]

Those certificates were worth billions in some cases. You need to read up on this, because obviously you think Germany had to actually process the oil. They didn't. There were "fences" who would handle all that. Germany is not our friend. And you appear to be one of Germany's shills.

[Michael81Dus]

I AM GERMAN!

[Quilla]

Miz, Michael's one of the good guys, a freeper from Germany.