France may train new Iraq army

AP ^ | 2/6/04

[saquin]

FRANCE wants to help Iraq train a new army and its police forces despite initial opposition to the US-led war.

French defence minister Michele Alliot-Marie replied "yes" when asked by newspaper Le Monde whether France might offer military cooperation to the planned provisional Iraqi government to assume power by July 1.

"We could only envisage intervening at the request of such a government and in a framework of the United Nations," the defence minister was quoted as saying.

"This government should be installed starting from July 1 and thus it is from this date that we envisage our participation in the reconstruction of Iraq, together with our German partners and with the Japanese," she said.

The minister indicated that French help would be geared toward military and security training. France is already helping to train soldiers in Afghanistan for that war-torn country's new army.

"Japan wishes in effect to be associated with our projects, which are linked to the training of the police, the army," she said. "It is an area in which we have expertise since that is what we are doing already in Afghanistan."

France was a lead opponent of the US-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein. It insists that governing power in Iraq be transferred from the US coalition to a provisional government before France would consider participating in the country's reconstruction.

"We consider it indispensable that the Iraqis get back their sovereignty as rapidly as possible, which supposes that they have a legitimate government," the defence minister told Le Monde.

[stylin_geek]

No jokes? This article is the equivalent of throwing red meat in front of hungry lions...and then asking them not to eat.

[NovemberCharlie]

That's one way to make sure Iraq is never a threat to its neighbors again.

[cat lover too]

"No jokes please."

I thought France trained the old Iraq army very well.

[NYTexan]

The French drill instructor are going to get the $hit beat out of themselves!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

sorry could not resist!

[Alter Kaker]

Totally inappropriate. When I was a child, Hitler conquered my country too - at time it was not funny at all. 295,000 Americans died in Second World War. 810,000 French died for their country. Do not make joke about those who fight German terror.

[Ciexyz]

Ultimate Surrender

LOL! I'm passing this thread on to friends.

[jpsb]

This has got to be a joke right? The French, German and Japanese are going to train an army? For what defeat? If Iraq wants an army better get the Brits or US to do the training.

[Jumper]

France doesn't have any money nor do they product anything of value to Iraq, therefore, the only way they can make money from Iraq is to sell military related products, e.g., training in this case:) Bankrupted idealogy, the socialism is in France!

[ellery]

Too easy.

[Ciexyz]

Totally inappropriate.

Welcome to FR, Alter Kaker. I see from your bio that you're Israeli. You'll see that Freepers are sympathetic to Israel's struggle to survive and that every time there's a homicide bombing in Israel, someone posts the info on FR and there are many expressions of sympathy.

That said, I'd like to ask you to lighten up a little. It's socially acceptable on FR to make jokes about French cowardice. One reason, they deserve it and it's funny. But Americans also understand that the French have consistently countered American moves to fight terrorism, for their own personal benefit, to keep America weak and to pander to our enemies.

Our use of humor is our way of dealing with the frustration we feel.

My Dad fought in World War II, and I remember him telling me the joke years ago, that the world's shortest book is The Book of French War Heroes. So, Americans have made fun of the French for years.

Besides, we don't eat frogs legs here!

[ambrose]

The French are scum. They were the most productive of any German-occupied countries. Other countries at least tried to sabotage production of war materials for the Krauts.

The French were all too willing to turn the Juden over.

[Alter Kaker]

That said, I'd like to ask you to lighten up a little. It's socially acceptable on FR to make jokes about French cowardice.

Please, do not patronize me. Showing photo of Hitler in Paris to make joke of France is like showing photo of World Trade Center on 11 September to make joke of America. There is no laughter for those of us who saw either. I assume from your post that you are young. [i]My Dad fought in World War II[/i]Good for him. This does not make joke of Hitler's presence in Paris. My parents, myfamily, almost everyone I know as child, died in World War II, and still this does not give me grounds to make joke of Hitler.

[Alter Kaker]

The French were all too willing to turn the Juden over.

Some were, some weren't. But none were so helpful as the Poles or the Litvakhs or the Byellorussians or the Slovaks or the Croats or the Romanians or the Cossaks or the Ukrainians.

The French are scum. They were the most productive of any German-occupied countries.

France had by far biggest economy of any country conquered by Germany. Thousands of French were put in slave labor too.

[JasonC]

We are making a joke about those who did *not* fight German terror...

[JasonC]

We come liberate your ass on a regular schedule, we earn the right to make a few jokes. You can't deal with it, then make a habit of going to liberate others for a few decades. Then you can whine if you like - which by then you won't.

[JasonC]

Thousands of Americans were shot by Frenchmen fighting for Hitler. Oh, forget about that part, did we?

[Frohickey]

No jokes? You mean I can't say "at least the French could teach them how to surrender really fast"?

None of that.

You can't say "at least the French could teach them to only surrender to troops, and not reporters?" either. :D

[Alter Kaker]

We come liberate your ass on a regular schedule, we earn the right to make a few jokes. You can't deal with it, then make a habit of going to liberate others for a few decades. Then you can whine if you like - which by then you won't.

You have made a mistake. I am not French. And I was "liberated" by Stalin.

[Bob J]

"This government should be installed starting from July 1 and thus it is from this date that we envisage our participation in the reconstruction of Iraq, together with our German partners and with the Japanese," she said.

I guess the Russians have become "persona non grata".