[tictoc]

Yeah, its' Wolfowitz's fault because he ignored Euro offers of aid.

It's Rumsfeld's fault for dissing Old Europe.

It's Bush's fault for being a Texas yokel who has no powers of persuasion.

Suure.

If anyone believes that, take a look at how Chirac and Schroeder and their assorted continental minions are treating Tony Blair, a gifted public speaker in a long line of eloquent British prime ministers, a man with a lifelong commitment towards closer integration of the UK into Europe, committed to ditching the pound, abasing himself for the purpose of bridging the trans-Atlantic gap.

How do they treat Mr. Blair, who tired himself out in his effort to explain the new world reality to the world and especially Europe?

For his efforts, Chirac and Schroeder treated him lower than the dirt on their shoes.

So, it really doesn't matter what missteps the U.S. administration may have made. The outcome would have been the same regardless.

[longtermmemmory]

What is REALY funny? France and Germany do not even have the largly symbolic rotaiting EU presidency. That is currently held by Greece. Greece is worried about the 2004 olympic games and has been largly fence sitting the diplomatic war. (they have quietly given overflight and staging rights to the US military) The point is that the lead voice of the EU has been drowned out by French self interest.

France really views the other european nations as France's stable of b**ches.