Rubbish.
Pure grade A rubbish.
Just four years ago this month, French President Chirac was *DEMANDING* that all of NATO wage savage war on Serbia over Kosovo without UN approval.
Some moral high ground for this French hypocrit...
Posted on 03/18/2003 8:43:26 PM PST by Maeve
The bitter accusations levelled by American and British politicians at France for undermining policy towards Iraq are being greeted in Paris more in sorrow than anger.
President Jacques Chirac has refused to personalise his differences with President George W. Bush and Tony Blair, the UK prime minister. He has chosen to adopt a more Olympian tone and avoid the kind of venom being directed his way by Washington and London, who blame the French for sabotaging a common front against the Iraqi regime.
When he read a solemn declaration challenging the legitimacy of the use of force against Iraq yesterday morning his main concern was to restate the French position that the United Nations weapons inspections should continue.
Talking for less than five minutes, he mentioned the word France five times and the US only once. He did not even bother to refer to Britain, President Bush's main ally throughout the Iraqi crisis.
The sharp difference between the French and British approach is not simply tactical, but one of style and political culture. President Chirac - a generation older than the American and British leaders - is convinced he has experience on his side.
He also wants to occupy the moral high ground by insisting on the need for multilateral action co-ordinated through, and legitimised by, the UN.
President Chirac does not have to find scapegoats: he is comfortable with his own position and public opinion backs him to an unprecedented degree.
French sentiment is predominantly not jingoist support for President Chirac in his overt confrontation with the US. Rather it is genuine amazement over the failure of America and its allies to win the diplomatic battle. Even pro-Atlanticist officials and parliamentarians, critical of President Chirac's alienation from Britain and the US, are dismayed about how Washington's diplomacy - with London caught in the slip-stream - has encouraged his hard line.
From the very beginnings of last year's tortuous negotiations over resolution 1441 France made clear its reservations about the eventual use of force against Baghdad - although it did sign up to the final wording, which threatened "serious consequences" over failure to co-operate.
But French officials say a concerted UN campaign to weaken an evil regime by ridding it of weapons of mass destruction, which the US could have won, has been distorted by America's long-time war agenda.
The issue has shifted from one of controlling weapons of mass destruction to America's use of its military might. The officials worry about whether there is any counter-weight either now at the UN or in the future via a more assertive and united European Union.
President Chirac's associates say he is a pragmatist and as host of the G8 summit in Evian in June has every intention of avoiding a shouting match with President Bush and emphasising the endurance of Franco- American relations. Officials, however, are reluctant to speculate on a quick thaw in relations with Washington.
On relations with Britain, they are more sanguine because the fabric of the EU binds the two governments in to daily work on an infinitely broader range of issues. Officials are anxious to put out the message "below the parapet it is business as usual", including on the vexed subject of defence cooperation.
President Chirac himself said at the Anglo-French summit in February at Le Touquet that the manifest divide between himself and Mr Blair over Iraq should not obscure the large degree of co-operation elsewhere. The two men will meet tomorrow at the EU spring summit in Brussels.
The main problem French officials see is not the bilateral relationship with Britain but how this fits into the broader context of the future of the EU.
President Chirac will also exploit the highly visible Anglo-American alliance over Iraq to argue that Britain has yet to make up its mind where its loyalties lie.
But these considerations have to be balanced against the French need for Britain's close military co-operation, if Europe is ever to develop the defence identity President Chirac would like to see evolve.
Yeah. I can hear him!
It's Jacque ("Jack Kerowac") Chiraq, alright.
I would love for Tony Blair to greet Chirac by kicking him swiftly in the groin.
Personally I think President Bush should sit this summit out.
Rubbish.
Pure grade A rubbish.
Just four years ago this month, French President Chirac was *DEMANDING* that all of NATO wage savage war on Serbia over Kosovo without UN approval.
Some moral high ground for this French hypocrit...
Oh, I see. It's Bush's fault. Just as Daschle says. WE made Chirac act so. Chirac's comments about his multi-polar agenda - our fault. Yep.
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