'No French food' for US Marines

BBC ^ | 03/28/03

[nypokerface]

Republican members of the US Congress have asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to boycott a French firm catering for the US Marines.

The firm in question, Sodexho, has a $881m contract to feed the Marines.

"My colleagues and I abhor the idea of continuing to pour American dollars into a French based firm when those dollars could be feeding our wartime economy," wrote Representative Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican.

Mr Kingston wanted the contract to be terminated because that would send "a tangible signal to the French Government that there are economic consequences associated with their international policies".

Mr Kingston said Sodexho, the American subsidiary of France's Sodexho Alliance, had recently signed an eight-year contract with the Marines.

The congressman said he was trying to get more signatures before sending the letter to Mr Rumsfeld.

Good food

A spokeswoman for the French caterer said eliminating Sodexho from the Marine Corps would not lead to a policy shift in the French Government.

"The Marine Corps has got a lot on its plate right now. They have got more important things on their mind," the spokeswoman said.

"We like to put stuff on their plate. Not issues though, just good food," she said.

Sodexho's website is currently running a statement of support for the US Marines.

Mr Kingston's letter comes amid growing anti-french feeling in the US.

The American public and lawmakers are highly critical of French President Jacques Chirac's defiant stance against the war.

Earlier this month, the US House of Representatives changed the French fries on its cafetaria menu to "freedom fries".

And on Wednesday, the presidential plane Air Force One served "stuffed freedom toast topped with strawberries," instead of the usual French toast.

[xm177e2]

It's not a question of jingoistic pride, it's a question of security. There are a lot of Muslims in France, and poisoning food is one of the most effective ways to use chemical or biological weapons.

[Semper Paratus]

Pate' doesn't translate into MRE real well anyway.

[paguch]

Since the French will not identify who they would like to win the war and they are supplying weapons and support to Iraq is there a security issue here?

[mgist]

Anyone have a website for Sodexho Alliance? I would like to politely complain that as an ordinary American citizen I can not tolerate million dollar contracts (my tax dollars) going to a nation whose government is anti-American.

[lizma]

I read that this was cancelled. Guess not.

[lelio]

And in a more general sense: what's a multi-million dollar contract for the military going to a foreign owned company for? What if that country's government decided to boycot us, and told Sodexho to stop all business? We'll be up that creek without an MRE.

[bucephalus]

This one is a no-brainer. I'm not antiFrench, but there is no way they should have a $881 million contract with the US Military. Deeds have consequences.

[mgist]

I bet there was a quid pro quo(sp?) in here somewhere. Someone got a kickback for putting this deal through, follow the money . . . Who exactly negotiated this deal?

[G.Mason]

BREAKING NEWS: President Bush said today he would not attack Iraq unless French troops were by our side. President Bush said he needed someone to train the Iraq's on how to surrender.

From this site

[Gopher Broke]

Each of us should write our Congressman and demand that the US terminate all Federal business with France. Click HERE to send that note to your congressman.

[buccaneer81]

Sodexho runs my company's cafeteria. Lousy service, lousy food. Now I have an even better reason to dislike them.

[MudPuppy]

that contract should go to an American company!!

The military/government shouldn't sign any contracts with countries that don't support us. Makes sense to me anyway.

[Knuckle Sandwich Combo]

[DanDan]

Absolutely. It it american food made by americans for americans.

There are a lot of Muslims in France, and poisoning food is one of the most effective ways to use chemical or biological weapons

PFFFF!! What a joke.

[bush4life1]

I know I will not support the French. Besides we dont need them on our side even though it would be nice. They have never done anything for us and i doubt they ever will. They have dug themselves into a hole that they can and dont want to dig themselves out of

[ffusco]

Have you forgotten the Tylenol scare years ago? To suggest that tampering is impossible is beyond niave, although unlikely.

[Grampa Dave]

This is great!

[Slyfox]

Shouldn't we also abhor the idea of the French having ANY hand in the rebuilding of Iraq after we have sweat blood to free the Iraqi's from Saddam's iron grip?

Same goes for the UN, Red China, Russia, and Germany...