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France calls for American 'reason'
Telegraph (UK) ^ | 09/14/2001 | Harry de Quetteville and Toby Helm

Posted on 09/13/2001 6:19:54 PM PDT by dighton

POLITICAL leaders in France and Germany urged President Bush yesterday to avoid a belligerent response, as fears grew in Europe of the consequences of swift and ruthless military reaction to the terrorist attacks.

Lionel Jospin, the French Prime Minister, said the Americans should be "reasonable" in their response. Alain Richard, his defence minister, said the attacks were "not acts of war".

The comments, echoed by senior German ministers if not by the Chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, contradicted statements by President Bush and his Secretary of State Colin Powell.

M Jospin said: "We must vigorously condemn and combat terrorism. But we must not allow ourselves to be led into considerations of a conflict between the western world and the Islamic world, where we have many friends and partners."

The remarks from the Socialist prime minister were aimed at reassuring both the France's political Left and its Muslim population, which numbers six million. But they will be seen as further evidence of disagreements between France and America on big foreign policy issues.

The comments by M Richard will also undermine American confidence in France's commitment to joint reprisals as outlined by Nato members on Wednesday. He said: "I think that this was a terrorist attack of particular gravity.

"American democracy is clearly endangered by such action, but in my opinion a war is something else entirely." France disagrees with US policy on missile defence, the bombing of Iraq and what it sees as American cultural imperialism.

Rudolf Scharping, the German defence minister, also cautioned against launching swift military strikes. "I hope we all remain calm and do not now speak of a state of alarm. We do not face a war.

"We face the question of what is an appropriate response," he told German television. "Not in the sense of revenge and retribution, but in order to be able to fight and break international terror."

France's maverick health minister, Bernard Kouchner, went as far yesterday as to put the attacks down to a "series of errors" by America. "America's made a real mistake in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was to train the Taliban," M Kouchner said.

"To think now that there is some kind of consensus of 'honourable' nations against the 'bad' terrorists, is simply not true."

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2001.</font color>


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
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To: Harley - Mississippi
I wanna be the guy who presents the unit citation to the next GERMAN PANZER Division that rolls into Paris.

Hell it won't take a Panzer division, 50 Volkswagens massed of the French border would cause the bastards to crap in their pants.

201 posted on 09/13/2001 9:54:27 PM PDT by The Cajun
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To: jothamdorn
(#197)

Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953).

202 posted on 09/13/2001 9:55:19 PM PDT by dighton
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To: Boatlawyer
No, those were our "allies," the Free French, you know, the victors over the Germans!
203 posted on 09/13/2001 9:58:09 PM PDT by mrustow
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To: A+Bert
A+Bert's # 8: most of you will be out of a job in cities where cannbalism will provide the only food supply. Bertie, I do hope they'll munch you first.
204 posted on 09/13/2001 9:58:23 PM PDT by Neophyte
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To: dighton
(#202) thanks for the cite. A frenchie. How ironic.
205 posted on 09/13/2001 10:00:04 PM PDT by jothamdorn
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To: Long Cut
Well, at least now, Colin Powell should know how the Israelis feel, when he rells them to exercise restraint. When people talk this way to you, it means they have nothing but contempt for you.

See also:

It DID Happen Here

206 posted on 09/13/2001 10:00:16 PM PDT by mrustow
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To: dighton
Grbbit.
207 posted on 09/13/2001 10:01:12 PM PDT by Nuke'm Glowing
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To: Neophyte
Some of the nonsense by the Israeli lobby is as loony as it gets. If Bush were to go with 10% of it we would be an economic basket case by Christmas and the Israelis would be trying to swim the Meditteranean. I'm logging off for a few days. This site is becoming a fucking nut house. I could give a shit what happens to you bastards.
208 posted on 09/13/2001 10:04:44 PM PDT by A+Bert (Outta here)
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To: dighton
Hmmmm...I don't remember anybody asking the French for their opinion on this...
209 posted on 09/13/2001 10:08:39 PM PDT by redhead
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To: A+Bert
Good one Bert. Now you'll end up in the dungeon for sure.
210 posted on 09/13/2001 10:08:51 PM PDT by jrherreid
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To: jothamdorn
Born in France; served for a short time in the French military; studied at Oxford and naturalized an English subject. Wrote great light verse and questionable history.
211 posted on 09/13/2001 10:10:43 PM PDT by dighton
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To: Lazamataz
Methinks A+Bert will taste a bit like...chicken.

I like chicken.

212 posted on 09/13/2001 10:18:48 PM PDT by follow your bliss
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To: cajungirl
"...as to eating aBert I just don't know. He has admitted he is stringy and needs a good fricassee. Perhaps we should consult Irma who has recipes for everything..."

If I recall correctly, Irma has a few nutria recipes. Sounds like just the ticket. :-)

213 posted on 09/13/2001 11:44:32 PM PDT by Cloud William
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To: RickyJ
Get REAL, only in idiot would say such a thing
214 posted on 09/14/2001 12:09:53 AM PDT by Liberty_Or_Die
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To: A+Bert
Let's take a look at Bertie's latest insanity.

Sorry but most of you Israeli consider Muslims animals.

First, Bertie, who knows damn well I'm an American calls me an Israeli. Obviously, it's because he thinks Jews can't be real Americans. OK, I'm used to that attitude. Next, he claims "most" of us consider Muslims to be animals. So he slanders us again. Pretty good. A personal attack and a slander against Jews in a single sentence.

Not to jump through Bernie's hoops, but I would never consider a Muslim to be the equivalent of an animal. Never. And I do consider Muslims, even Muslim terrorists and their supporters like Bernie, to have the form of a human being. Does that satisfy you, Bernie?

My record is safe unless you are willing to agree the Muslims are human just like you.

I'm willing to agree that Muslims are human just like you. Is your record still safe?

215 posted on 09/14/2001 5:20:44 AM PDT by BenF
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To: A+Bert
Sniffing glue is bad for your health.
216 posted on 09/14/2001 5:26:55 AM PDT by 12B
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To: dighton
Lionel Jospin, the French Prime Minister, said the Americans should be "reasonable" in their response. Alain Richard, his defence minister, said the attacks were "not acts of war".

Neither was the German invasion of France in WW II! Great defenders of freedom, those Frenchmen.

217 posted on 09/14/2001 5:32:38 AM PDT by connectthedots
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To: cajungirl
"What have I missed?"

Jerry Lewis movies.

218 posted on 09/14/2001 5:34:16 AM PDT by BlueLancer
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To: Mulder
Louis Breault's Quebecois father used to use some real French back in the neighborhood.

Ol'man Breault would tell folks who ticked him off to "Bec mon cul."

So to all those frightened froggies I say:

BEC MON CUL!

219 posted on 09/14/2001 5:42:05 AM PDT by JimVT
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To: A+Bert
Bert, just wondering. Have you ever had an intelligent thought? Or is this really all there is to you?
220 posted on 09/14/2001 5:49:36 AM PDT by Nashphil
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