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Posted on 04/15/2003 7:29:50 PM PDT by 11th_VA
The anti-war alliance of France, Germany and Russia seemed to be unravelling last night when President Jacques Chirac and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder moved to repair relations with America and Britain.
As Tony Blair flew to Hanover for a summit with Mr Schröder, M Chirac spoke by telephone to President Bush for the first time since the row over the failed attempt to secure United Nations approval for war in Iraq.
French officials said M Chirac told Mr Bush in the 20-minute call of his readiness "to act pragmatically and case by case" on issues such as disarmament, sanctions, interim government, oil resources, administration and reconstruction.
Tony Blair and Gerhard Schröder talked for 90 minutes This was a retreat to his opposition to war in the name of moral principle and international law.
He also seemed to drop his demand for a "central role" for the United Nations in shaping the future of Iraq. He said only that the coalition should "involve the United Nations as soon as possible".
M Chirac's spokesman added: "He also told him France welcomed the brevity of the war and, like all other democracies, welcomed the fall of the Iraqi dictatorship."
But there was little sign of the White House forgiving M Chirac. Some Bush administration officials have said it could take years for relations to thaw.
Ari Fleischer, Mr Bush's spokesman, said of the telephone call: "From the president's point of view, he would call it business-like."
In Hanover, meanwhile, Mr Schröder seemed in equally conciliatory mood when he emerged with Mr Blair after an hour and a half of talks.
"Whatever the differences of opinion it is important that these problems can be solved in a diplomatic way," he said. "The importance of trans-Atlantic relations is not in question and afterwards we must work together."
Mr Schröder did not seem prepared to make an issue of the precise role for the UN.
"It doesn't matter if you call it a vital role or central role. That is just terminology. It will be up to the diplomats to nail down the specifics."
With the end of the war, the alliance of the anti-war camp appears to be dissolving.
Dubbed the "axis of weasel" by a furious American Right, France, Germany and Russia do not want to be left out of the rebuilding of Iraq after Saddam Hussein's downfall.
Washington and London, for their part, want international support to shore up a post-Saddam government.
They will need support at the UN to release reconstruction funds, organise humanitarian work and remove UN-imposed economic sanctions.
The anti-war camp started out with the firm demand that the UN be given the central role in rebuilding the Iraqi government.
But the first signs of softening came last week when President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia would consider forfeiting some of Iraq's roughly £5 billion Soviet-era debt.
Mr Putin hosted M Chirac and Mr Schröder in St Petersburg at the weekend, but the summit failed to issue a communique.
The following day the Russian media quoted senior Kremlin officials as predicting that relations with America would soon get back to normal.
Abandoned by Mr Putin, M Chirac and Mr Schröder seem to be rushing to patch up relations with Washington.
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This is the most interesting bit in the article, and something I had previously missed. Chicac and Schroder are something akin to amoral whores, but they aren't stupid ones. Anyone that sleeps will them will find their wallet missing in the morning.
The travel itinerary should have been in the east-to-west direction, though. Blair should have these little "chats" on HIS turf.
Disarmament - France knows Iraq has illegal weapons.
Sanctions - Instead of the obvious, removing them, continue them to pipeline Food for Oil money to French companies.
Interim Government - France won't recognize any government that doesn't pipeline money to France
Oil resources - honor bogus French oil drilling contracts - Chretien will add his support here
Administration - see Interim Government
Reconstruction - money for French companies.
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Funny, the idea about humanitarian aid didn't pop into Chirac's sophisticated mind...
Did anyone else catch this? If true, the president has made the price for France to get back into our good graces very difficult.
Did anyone think this three-way love triangle would last past Saturday night?
Any such alliance would ultimately become a German-Russian alliance (France would go into a pout forthwith over the language issue and thereafter would be nothing more than a nuisance), and as soon as Germans began to dominate the Russian economy the whole thing would go kaput!
Does anyone really think that the French or the Russians are going to trust the Germans? that the French or the Germans are going to trust the Russians? that the Germans will put up with French demands, inefficiency, and silliness? that the Russians or the Germans are going to adopt the French language?
Yo, Jacques, we start by YOU paying YOUR war debts to America, with accrued interest.
Then, MAYBE, if you're a good little froggie, we'll talk about your position as a creditor of the former and unlawful regime in Iraq.
Comprendez vous, cochon?
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