French minister blasts Washington's "Texan" foreign policy

AFP ^ | 2/20/2002 | AFP

[l33t]

Another French minister blasted US foreign policy, calling it "Texas-style diplomacy" and saying that law and not force should govern international relations.

Charles Josselin, minister for overseas cooperation, was commenting in the Arabic-language daily Asharq al-Awsat Wednesday on Washington's sharp reaction to recent criticism by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine.

Josselin said the US response was because Vedrine had "touched a sore spot".

He added that after the terror attacks of September 11, "there was a danger of Washington justifying its excesses and use of force by its right to defend itself."

"It is Texas-style diplomacy", Josselin said, referring to the home state of US President George W. Bush famous for its cowboys.

"France for its part considers that the logic of law and not that of force should govern international relations," he added.

In a radio interview on February 6, Vedrine said, "Today we are threatened by a simplism that reduces all the problems of the world to the struggle against terrorism, and is not properly thought through."

He also voiced concern in particular about Washington's Middle East policy and the possibility of a US attack on Iraq, which Bush has branded part of an "axis of evil".

US Secretary of State Colin Powell questioned French support for the US-led war on terrorism and said his French counterpart "was getting the vapours", while France's ambassador to Washington was summoned to the State Department.

[ken5050]

It's time to boycott snails and frogs' legs..

[Thane_Banquo]

"France for its part considers that the logic of law and not that of force should govern international relations," he added.

Law is force. Any law not enforced by the use of physical force is essentially a law that doesn't exist.

[general_re]

Done!

Gee, that was easy ;)

[ladtx]

"It is Texas-style diplomacy", Josselin said, referring to the home state of US President George W. Bush famous for its cowboys.

Funny, it's worked for us Texans for the last 175 years. Seems to me all the "French-style" diplomacy has gotten them over the years are a lot of Germans marching through Paris.

[antienvironmentalist]

France for it's part considers that the logic of law and not that of force should govern international relations

Who is it that will enforce those laws, and how will they be enorced? A law is worthless without a force behind it to punish those who break it. On a geopolitical stage, that force is the country with the most power. France is a marginal (pathetic) actor who must rely on the biggest gun in town (US) to enforce international laws. This nimbrod seems to have forgotten this key factor or is more concerned with sounding humane than with protecting humanity. Very typical of the French. Spew empty bromides all day long, but when push comes to shove, surrender until it hurts.

[Long Cut]

Another weekly French whine about the U.S.

They paid us the money they owe us yet?

To quote Robert De Niro,"F%#$ you, PAY me!"

[Ranger]

Perhaps France thinks Bin Laden will turn himself in voluntarily?

[lavaroise]

I will go with Texan policy any time when confronted with French endemic and chronic siding with fascism, a nation that smells of well purfumed sulfur and pathological witness intimidation and smearing.

[5Madman2]

Best way to deal with these French turds is when we see them come up to a microphone, throw a rifle in thier hands. They'll immediately drop it and run away. End of news conference. Wish we could shut off thier faxes and e-mails the same way. Then we'd never hear from them

[lavaroise]

BUmp for Texas clean talk

Down with the French stench that sophisticated perfumed talk cannot hide.

[Wurlitzer]

The French are just showing their world famous inferiority complex. They have not been able to train their fighter pilots to engage in battle while their arms are raised over their heads. It is hard to control a plane with just your legs especially when your balancing a glass of wine and some cheese on your lap.

[Irene Adler]

Why do the French, even more than other countries, think they can run our foreign policy? My guess is that the French response would be, "Why do you think you can run ours?" To which I would reply, "We don't much care about yours," which is, I think, the real problem with the French. It's supposed to be all about them, and it really, really isn't, nowadays.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Funny, it's worked for us Texans for the last 175 years. Seems to me all the "French-style" diplomacy has gotten them over the years are a lot of Germans marching through Paris.

Well said, LOL!!!! Cheese-eating appeaser/surrender monkeys!!

[Destructor]

""It is Texas-style diplomacy", Josselin said, referring to the home state of US President George W. Bush famous for its cowboys."

Well, you'd better smile when you say that Frenchy!

[LarryM]

I'll take Texas diplomacy over Vichy diplomacy any day.

[little-e]

Wanna bet these weenies will be calling the "cowboy" for help when one of these terrorist groups blows up the Eiffel Tower?

[Arkie2]

These are the geniuses who thought they could charge machine gun nests in WW1 because Elan would carry them through and built the Maginot line in WW2. If they're complaining about what we're doing, we must be doing something right. I subscribe to the school of foreign policy that listens to everything the French say and then does exactly the opposite on the theory that the French have been the most consistently wrong nation in history.

[HELLRAISER II]

Like France has any say so in our foreign policy, remember this Mr. Minister "Your either with us, or against us." and you don't want to be against us you little B@stard.

[Carolina]

Vedrine said, "Today we are threatened by a simplism that reduces all the problems of the world to the struggle against terrorism, and is not properly thought through."

'Tis a gift to be simple
'Tis a gift to be free...