White House: France in Minority but 'Still An Ally'

Said White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer 'Ultimately, we will see what the French decide to do. They have have their position known at this point. But as the President engages in consultations, as the President presents the facts and the President listens, the President will also lead.'

He rejected comments by a key United States defense advisor, Richard Perle, who reportedly said France was not the ally it once was. Perle is the head of the Defense Department Policy Review Board, which has an advisory but not a policy making role in the Administration.

'President Bush knows that France is and will always remain an ally of the United States of America. France has the right to make decisions independent of the United States of America and other countries in the world,' Fleischer said.

I have heard so much about France's relationship with Iraq in the past few days, I believe I heard that, too. This is the problem with getting too much info--can't remember where I got it. Mansoor on Fox last night pointed out the Riacin cell that had spread from Afghanistan to Iraq, through southern Turkey then to Paris, London, Barcelona, and Milan. Today Fox reported that France's oil company (a division of Fina?) has an agreement with Iraq and our taking over the oil fields would significantly impair that monopoly. Russia also wants part of that action, not our intervention in Iraqi oil fields. France has sold Iraq nuclear power technology as well as fighter planes (or its technology). They are responsible for arming Iraq and they are covering their rumps. BTW, it was a German scientist who sold the secret of how to make nuclear weapons to Iraq.

I also heard on either Fox or Rush that they sold their chunnel building equipment to Iraq. Did anyone else hear that? I can't find my source.

Perhaps France is even an enemy.

Mark Steyn's recent column posited this possibility. France wants to coopt the compliant Germans and create a US of Europe that will actively oppose the US worldwide. Such can only lead to disaster, unless the rest of Europe heads it off.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.