Posted on 04/18/2003 1:42:49 PM PDT by Pokey78
The US and Britain appear intent on continuing to "punish" France for its anti-war stance, in spite of recent gestures of conciliation by Jacques Chirac (pictured), the French president.
The diplomatic pressure on Mr Chirac contrasts with a softer tone towards Germany and Russia, the other two leading members of the "coalition of the unwilling".
The difference in approach was evident on Friday in a newspaper interview in which Tony Blair, prime minister, said the failure to secure a second UN resolution had put British soldiers' lives at risk.
Downing Street believes that Mr Chirac's threat to veto such a resolution made difficult negotiations with countries such as Russia and Germany "impossible".
Meanwhile Condoleezza Rice, the US president's national security adviser, was reported this week to have said that France should be punished, Germany ignored and Russia forgiven as the US readjusts its relations with European allies.
The strain of the US-French relationship was apparent this week when Mr Bush and Mr Chirac shared their first telephone conversation in more than two months. The White House described the call as "businesslike".
By contrast, Mr Blair last Tuesday went to Hanover, home town of Gerhard Schröder, and held talks with the German chancellor, which Downing Street described as "extremely good".
Britain and the US believe that Germany can be quickly brought back into the Atlanticist fold, and have been encouraged by public statements by Mr Schröder and Joschka Fischer, foreign minister, since the war ended.
Berlin has indicated it could be open to participating in peacekeeping in Iraq, a move which would be warmly welcomed in Washington.
Mr Schröder and his ministers have said a decision would be taken on the basis of what kind of role they might play and circumstances on the ground. But as the war in Iraq has neared conclusion, the tone has softened somewhat, with more stress on Germany's awareness of its international responsibilities.
One problem with German participation - stretched resources - could be resolved in the coming months, with the decision that Nato would take over the leadership of peacekeeping in Afghanistan in August, releasing German soldiers for redeployment elsewhere.
British and US diplomats believe that if they can rebuild bridges with Germany, France would have little choice but to adopt a more constructive approach to US relations.
Publicly Downing Street insists Mr Blair and Mr Chirac are already starting to repair severely damaged cross-channel relations, pointing to a "good" 25 minute conversation between the two leaders at the EU summit on Wednesday.
Mr Chirac has also tried to promote a "pragmatic" approach to the postwar situation, engaging in a dialogue in Athens on the reconstruction of Iraq and recognising the necessary role of US and British troops on the ground.
But the short-term reconciliations in Europe do not disguise a longer-term ideological divide, which has shown no signs of narrowing.
While German foreign policy envisages a partnership between Europe and the US, France has marked the postwar period with renewed advocacy of its vision of a strong European pole to counterbalance US power.
"Europe will put its all into forging a multi-polar world and making its voice and values heard, in harmonious and balanced co-operation with its leading partners," Mr Chirac said at the Athens summit.
Mr Chirac also reminded the 10 new EU members, mainly former communist countries, that their allegiances should not be with the US but with the "European family".
The diplomatic manoeuvring over Iraq is likely to coincide with commercial battles as well. The US on Thursday handed a lucrative contract to rebuild vital infrastructure to Bechtel, a US construction company.
European diplomats will be watching closely to see if European companies are included in such work as subcontractors, and also to what extent they are able to preserve existing contracts in Iraq.
Drats, I really liked that album!
I wonder how long this illusion will last. Probably until the next time they need defense...again.
<===Mash ThisFrench Army to Market "Ultimate Surrender" Video Game
Paris - Inspired by the commercial success of the United States Army’s "Boot Camp" video game, the General Staff of the French Army has announced plans to market "Ultimate Surrender," a video game based upon the proud military traditions of the Gauls.
In the game we follow the exploits of Lucky Pierre, an apprentice garlic salesman from Marseilles, as he joins the French Army and begins a rigorous course of combat training.
The First Level of the game is called "Survival School," and the players have to help Lucky Pierre survive 24 hours without red wine or crème brulé.
The Second Level is "Capitulation," and the goal here is to see which player can have Lucky Pierre surrender the fastest without firing a shot or getting his uniform dirty.
Level Three is "Collaboration." Here the players battle to see who can collect the largest numbers of pairs of nylon stockings and packages of chocolates by having Lucky Pierre perform sexual favors for members of the occupying forces.
Level Four is "Be Ungrateful to America for Rescuing Your Sorry French Ass Once Again." In this extremely challenging part of the game contestants vie with one another to see who can make Lucky Pierre behave in the surliest manner when the United States inevitably comes to the rescue of the defeated French.
The Final Level is "Pretending to Have Been in the Resistance." Here contestants compete in a battle of tall tales and whoppers as they try to protect Lucky Pierre from treason charges.
Marketing tests show that "Ultimate Surrender" is a big hit with French teenagers and young adults who are too young to have experienced France’s lightening surrender to the Germans in 1940 or its defeat by the Vietnamese in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. "Zees is a great tool to inspire ze patriotism in ze youths, n’est ce pas?" said General Jean-Jacques Loseur, Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, during his weekly press conference. "Since ze end of ze Cold War we French have not had many opportunities to surrender or to show great cowardice in the face of much weaker opponents."
When questioned about comments made in the French Chamber of Deputies that "Ultimate Surrender" makes the French Army look like a bunch of gutless mama’s boys, General Loseur pulled out a white handkerchief, put his hands over his head and said, "Oh heck, I give up."
I can forgive Canada because many Canadians who didn't vote for Cretien made their support for our position loud and clear, holding pro-U.S.A. demostrations and writing letters saying they were ashamed of their government's backstabbing. Quebec and Ontario was behind all the weasely stuff. Mexico, on the other hand, was 99% against us and our "best friend" the "conservative" Vincente Fox was ringleader.
With Germany, I didn't really expect anything else from that socialist scumbag Schroder, and I expect his adminstraton will be going bye-bye soon. The opposition party (Christian Democratic Party?) made their support for us clear. I suspect this also might be part of the old divide between East (communist) and West (capitalist) Germany that is still years from fixing, but we'll see if there is an attitude change.
I was PREPARED to forgive Russia until I found out that Putin was probably sharing information with Saddam and that Russia seems to be interested in restarting the cold war again. Now, I'm leaning towards retaliation, and I don't see why Negropointe didn't vote to condemn THEIR "unilaterial, pre-emptive" actions in Chenynea.
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