French leader adopts an Olympian tone

Financial Times . com ^ | Published: March 19 2003 4:00 | Last Updated: March 19 2003 4:00 | Robert Graham in Paris

[Maeve]

My first post. I hope I did this right.

[First_Salute]

Wait a minute ... let me ... move over to the door ...

Yeah. I can hear him!

It's Jacque ("Jack Kerowac") Chiraq, alright.

[Maeve]

The two men will meet tomorrow at the EU spring summit in Brussels.

I would love for Tony Blair to greet Chirac by kicking him swiftly in the groin.

[sheik yerbouty]

Kerouac, unlike Chiraq, was very pre American, in spite of his eccentricities.

[Maeve]

Ping

[jwalsh07]

Your Mom is a smart lady who convinced me that bin Laden was still alive using her language skills. Regards.

[CFC__VRWC]

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.

Personally I think President Bush should sit this summit out.

[Southack]

"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."

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...

[Maeve]

Thank you. She is brilliant woman and fierce when debating Democrats and liberal "Catholics".

[jwalsh07]

I know, I'm a conservative Catholic so our interests often converge to the same threads.

[Maeve]

I agree. Actually I think the President should invite friendly nations in the G8 to Camp David for some recreation and 'strategery' and let the others have their abominable summit.

[Desdemona]

Going "Olympian" isn't going to help their cause. Not with all the scandals and judging corruption going on.

[Sofa King]

"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."

This about the man who has been so petty as to lobby Turkey to not allow US troops, a move that, while not making war less likely, might make it less quick and cause more people to die in the process.

[Shermy]

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.

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.

[Maeve]

Do you think Chriac's comments fall under "It is better to look good, than to be good"? I think after we get all of the dirt in Iraq on French involvement in WMD -- Chirac's local corruption problems will erupt and pull him down into the Pit.

[Maeve]

Excellent. Petain is definitely the company that Chirac keeps. All that is left is to move the capital back to Vichy and surrender Paris to the all of the Muslims living in France.

[Maeve]

Speaking of Daschle, it is a good time to call his office and demand he step down as Minortiy Leader in the Senate. It may also be a good time to call Harry Reid and whisper the same thing in his itching and eager ear.

[Desdemona]

Do you think Chriac's comments fall under "It is better to look good, than to be good"?

He's definitely trying to build political capital. I think he overestimates his standing in the world and in the eyes of people who actually matter (the ones actually doing all the work) and is banking that he can ride this out. He better hope there's no paper trail.

[Maeve]

Ollie North says the rumor around the Middle East is that the French have been helping the Iraqis destroy the paper trail.