Posted on 05/07/2003 4:54:08 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Rice Says France, Germany Took NATO 'Hostage'
MADRID (Reuters) - U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) disparaged France for taking NATO (news - web sites) "hostage" over Iraq (news - web sites) and for threatening smaller countries with reprisals if they backed Washington's war to oust Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).
"Nobody should take NATO hostage," Rice said in an interview with four Spanish newspapers published on Wednesday.
"It was very unsettling that Germany and France tried to prevent NATO from reinforcing the security of Turkey. There were many unsettling things in that process," she told Spanish national newspapers El Pais, El Mundo, ABC and La Vanguardia.
Her comments were reported in Spanish.
While saying that France and Germany would remain U.S. allies, Rice also said France did more to divide Europe over Iraq than did the United States.
"The United States did not divide the Europeans...It wasn't us that threatened smaller countries with reprisals nor tried to shut up the countries of Eastern Europe," Rice said in reference to France.
In the run-up to the war in Iraq, France actively lobbied smaller countries on the U.N. Security Council to reject a resolution that would have approved the use of force.
French President Jacques Chirac also took to task future members of the European Union (news - web sites) from Eastern Europe for backing the United States on Iraq when they could have remained silent.
In what was seen as the biggest crisis within NATO for decades, France and Germany delayed a military aid package for Turkey that was meant to bolster its defenses before the war in Iraq.
How many have died (Iraqis AND Coalition) in Saddam's prisons
or freeing the rest? France and Germany are allies of Saddam.
With allies like france and germany, russia and china, who needs enemies?
I know she's not as conservative as some may like but who else can beat Hillary in '08. If Jeb gets the nomination, the media will have a field day "It's time for a woman POTUS" "world's smartest woman" and "Bush Dynasty". Unfortunately, Cheney is too ill and Rummy is too old. Guiliani is too liberal and there's not a popular big state Governer to be found (Taft and Pataki are tacking hard to the left and will be lucky to be re-elected.)
The only thing that matters is keeping Hillary out. IMHO, Condi is the only one who can do that.
Besides, she is damn impressive and deserves it.
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