France Meets U.S. Halfway on Iraq Sanctions Lift (New Info)

Reuters ^ | April 22, 2003

[Shermy]

Update.

[Shermy]

Al Bundy's comments on France

[mewzilla]

De La Sabihre is on FOX now. What a weasel. Says they want to phase out this particular Oil for Food program slowly so as not to disrupt food distribution. What food distribution? And that they want to make adjustments, which sounds like they want a new Oil for Food program to me. (Why can't the Iraqis sell their own darned oil in the future?) DLS says more transparency needed. Duh. But it sounds as though the French want to make sure, when all is said and done, that the UN keeps its mitts on Iraq's oil money.

[Grampa Dave]

Ah yes, Reuters writes another fairy tale about France and post war Iraq!

[Shermy]

Yep, this mornings headlines were to optimistic.

He wants "more" transparancy. What's that, 1% more? See my tag line.

[nicmarlo]

But France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, said the U.N. oil-for-food program, which collects Iraq's oil revenues, should be kept under U.N. control for the time being but adjusted to Iraq's current needs.

Gee, I wonder why the frenchies want the UN to keep collection oil revenues? /sarcasm

But the United States, in contrast to other council members including Britain, is cool to Blix, who will retire on June 30. Instead it is recruiting former U.N. inspectors from the United States, Britain and Australia to verify any discovery of banned weapons by the military.

Yes, the UN Inspectors proved themselves as useless and irrelevant as the UN.

[w_over_w]

The Bush administration wants the sanctions lifted entirely and reacted coolly to the French proposals.

Let the games begin . . . and "Cowboys" are damn good poker players. Especially ours . . . yup!

[meenie]

If the sanctions need reauthorized in June, the US needs to use its veto power. Another tactic would be to resign from the UN. This is my favorite solution to the problem.

[Redleg Duke]

"A Whore is a Whore...of course of course!"

[Shermy]

The French plan seems to be only to remove the name "sanctions" and keep every thing else the same.

[John Lenin]

Gee, I wonder why the frenchies want the UN to keep collection oil revenues? /sarcasm

To sell overpriced French agriculture products to the UN for Iraq ?

[nicmarlo]

The French plan seems to be only to remove the name "sanctions" and keep every thing else the same.

Yes, but what do you expect? the frenchies are humans in name only. : )

[nicmarlo]

To sell overpriced French agriculture products to the UN for Iraq ?

Nope; that's strike one. You get two more guesses! : )

[w_over_w]

Another tactic would be to resign from the UN. This is my favorite solution to the problem.

I understand your sentiments . . . I mean the UN can be as useless as hen sh!t on a water pump handle. But I prefer we be a UNMINO (UN member in name only) and use it politically to our advantage . . . at least until it becomes another "League of Nations". IMHO.

[Born to Conserve]

I don't get it. Blix et al keep saying there are no WMD, but in the same breath, they want the sanctions to remain in place -- wtf?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Thanks for URL.

[mewzilla]

FOX had a soundbite from a guy named Bevan Sevan (sp) a little while ago, who's with the Oil for Food program. This guy said that there had been over 100 audits of the program, and that Security Council members had gotten reports on the audits. Anyone heard anything about audits, if any have been done and if so, by whom?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Damn weasels !

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[lilylangtree]

Chirac called Bush twice last week. First time was to inform Bush about a "pragmatic" approach on the issue of Iraq. Call was 20 minutes. Chirac called Bush again on Friday. Today, while being interviewed, France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere used the term "pragmatic" approach on the issue of Iraq. France breaks with the stance of Germany and Russia. Question: what was the tradeoff in this "pragmatic" approach for France to call for the lifting of UN sanctions, which is reiterating Bush's request? Possibly Total Fina Elf's continuted production in Iraq while still under France's control?