How France blocked U.S. in Ankara

New York Sun ^ | 26 March 2003 | Michael Ledeen

[Pharmboy]

Do not buy or lease BMWs, Mercedes, Audis or Volkwagens...you already know about French Merlot and Champagne...

[Tamaqua]

Those who ticked me off the most when I was a firefighter's union president were the fence-sitters. Say "Yes" say "No" say something while the issue is pending. Those wouldn't usually had some other agenda.

Remember - "All politics are local."

[MJY1288]

I'm sure France will never be able to fix what they have done. I hope we pull out of the U.N. and start another organization that sets high standards for it's members and let the U.N. dry up and blow away

[quidnunc]

MJY1288 wrote: What evidence do you have that it is factual?

Michael Ledeen is a respected journalist who has no track record of publishing false information.

If you want to cast doubt on the veracity of this story then you have the affirmative burden of presenting evidence to that effect.

For instance who are your sources within the Turkish government and what are they telling you?

[george wythe]

10 years from now the Muslins elect their MAN in Germany and France the French poodle and the German schnawzer come under Sharia LAW.....

I'm a dog lover, so I will sorry for Muslim treatment of the dogs.

[Rocky]

I believe our next war needs to be in Europe. Our real enemies are there. No telling how many American lives may be lost because of reduced options, thanks to France and Germany. My blood is really boiling now.

[MississippiMan]

Exactly. Beyond their secondary desire to a) hide their complicity in arming Saddam, and b) protect their future economic interests in Iraq's oil, this whole affair had nothing to do with Iraq or the current war or pacifism. We've only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg thus far, which is a massive geopolitical realignment.

On one side, I believe there will be us and an alarmingly tiny number of supporters. On the other side, basically the rest of the world. At first glance, what I call the axis will make no sense because the various countries appear to have little in common. Russia, France, Germany, China: a vastly different set of cultures and political structures. What they have in common will soon become clear, though. In a nutshell, it's their abject hatred of the USA and Israel that will unite them, and I think we may see this unfold quite rapidly.

That's my theory.

MM

[Tamaqua]

In the end we need to have the capacity to stand alone.

I recently read a piece about a Pole who lambasted a Canadien. If he could, he said, he would move Poland to where Canada was an visa versa. Then Canada would understand the benefits of living next to a string and righteous nation like the United States.

They have taken us for granted.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

I loved the reference to France's "weapons of mass delusion." If that isn't hitting the nail on the head, I don't what is.

A child sometimes has difficulty telling the difference between fantasy and reality. What excuse do the adults in France have?

[cake_crumb]

Due to the mechanizations of France, Germany, Russia and China (each wants to rule the world) we got into a war we shouldn't have had to get into...it could have been won without a shot. IF the Axis of Weasels had stayed out of the way but war still became necessary, it would have been prosecuted differently. Due to Turkey backing down, we had to change our tactics. More American and British lives may be lost than would have otherwise have been lost.

Though our combined militaries are doing themselves and us proud in Iraq, it's only due to their training, equipmwnt, professionalism and dedication. They're doing well DESPITE those who wanted to use Saddam to bring the US to it's knees. Jaques and Gerhardt have much to answer for.

[Lx]

Gee that's just too bad, they sure could have used that aid package. Inflation is so bad there that they continuously build onto their houses (hovels?) in order to keep their money from depreciating to zero, according to noted economist Rick Steves, which is where it is now, hell I think the conversion rate is almost as bad as in Canada. I think it was Mel Gibson who said he bought property in Canada for $50k US or about $20 Canadian...

[MississippiMan]

In the end we need to have the capacity to stand alone.

You got that right. We better be able to stand alone. We've already been attacked, but that big show of world support after 9/11 sure did fade in a hurry, didn't it? That's because it was basically nothing but a bunch of lip service.

MM

[the_doc]

I agree with you. Our POTUS is really angry at the French.

Ann Coulter would say we are long overdue at getting furious at the Frogs, I think.

[Destro]

I guess I am one of the last White Europeans to immigrate to the USA at a young age and become a naturalized citizen. I am the last of my kind it seems

[MJY1288]

The anger directed at the French will multiply by 100 once we find all the documents in Iraq that link the French to their Chem/Bio programs in breech of the U.N. sanctions.

[the_doc]

The anger directed at the French will multiply by 100 once we find all the documents in Iraq that link the French to their Chem/Bio programs in breech of the U.N. sanctions.

I'm expecting this, too.

[Destro]

By "Neo-con" I mean . . .

A philosophy that is similar to Neo-Liberals or what Clinton termed the Third Way.

The Third Wayists want the UN using the USA via multilateral insititutions like NATO to impose a world regime centered around the UN. I am sure we all remember Clinton's Strobe Talbott saying that sovreignty of nations was outmoded and that we were moving to a "unipolar" world.

Neo-Cons are the opposite side of that unipolar coin. Where the Neo-Cons differ from Neo-Liberals is that while also seeking a unipolar world they want the USA to be the center of such a world hegemony and not the UN.

Neo-Cons and Neo-Liberals come from the same political movement that originated in the Trotskyite 60s university political movements.

[MJY1288]

Russia might have some answering up to do as well when we find all the war heads with recently dated Russian markings on them

[Destro]

This is not an article--it is not even journalisim--its wishful speculation and agitation against a current thorn in the neo-con side all while making Turkey (an important nation for neo-cons) seem the victim of French deceit and thus made blameless.

[yianni]

The good thing about any decision to invade France is we can count on a swift surrender.

Then ban the use of the french language - make 'em speak Merkun!