The streets of Paris are lined with trees so the German army can march in the shade.
Posted on 09/17/2002 5:51:53 AM PDT by tomahawk
Paris Hails Iraq Offer; Top General Against Attack
By Tom Heneghan
PARIS (Reuters) - France's top general flatly ruled out any pre-emptive strike against Iraq Tuesday as Paris insisted the United Nations must take Baghdad at its word and send inspectors to root out any weapons threat there.
Armed forces chief General Jean-Pierre Kelche warned a preventive strike would bring chaos to world politics and argued that inspections could be far more effective than an attack.
Kelche spoke only hours after French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, reacting to Baghdad's surprise offer to let arms inspectors return to Iraq, said in New York the United Nations should now hold President Saddam Hussein to his word.
With the United States and Britain skeptical while China and Russia welcome the Iraqi offer, France -- the fifth permanent member of the United Nations Security Council -- could play a pivotal role in shaping the international response.
"We are opposed to any doctrine of preventive strikes," Kelche told Europe 1 radio after being asked about Washington's support for an attack against Iraq. "It's a source of international disorder. Any country could do the same."
Since Saddam Hussein had offered to let back without conditions the arms inspectors who left in 1998, "We have to take him at his word ... let's try to go," Kelche said.
Bush, whose stated policy is the ousting of Saddam, last week told the U.N. General Assembly "action will be unavoidable" against Iraq unless the world body forced Baghdad to disarm.
A YEAR-LONG CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME?
Kelche said arms inspectors could be back in Iraq in two or three weeks but would need six to 12 months to get a full picture of Saddam Hussein's weapons capabilities.
"It is a cat-and-mouse game, but not one that will necessarily end to his advantage," said the general, adding that the inspections in the 1990s had apparently put more Iraqi weapons out of commission than the 1991 Gulf War did.
"I'm not convinced that we will have to force his hand militarily," he said. "We can hope for an effective inspection mission to get a clear view of the possible problems, if there are any, and, if that is the case, to reduce them."
In New York, Villepin reacted to the Iraqi offer by saying: "Saddam Hussein must now be held to his words."
Baghdad's offer had changed the challenge facing the United Nations and the Security Council might not need to pass a new resolution demanding the return, he indicated.
"Different options are open. We will discuss with our Security Council partners what might be needed once the inspectors are to return," Villepin told reporters.
Iraq agreed Monday to allow the unconditional return of U.N. arms inspectors amid an intense lobbying campaign by Washington backed by the threat of U.S.-led military action.
France initially proposed a two-stage U.N. plan on Iraq, with a first resolution demanding the inspectors' return and a second one deciding action if they were not allowed in.
Washington has advocated a single resolution demanding Iraq disarms and threatening severe consequences if it did not comply. Villepin has said a resolution without a threat could be adopted by consensus and thus send a more effective message.
"We must not lose any time, we must act quickly, send back inspectors, and of course their activities must not be hampered in any way," Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said.
"What we need is the reasonable certainty that the risk of proliferation is mastered and controlled," he said. "If the statements we have just received are backed up by actions, this will show that, when we are united, the international community obtains results."
Now that is funny!!
Redundancy: France Surrenders
We're suppose to be surprised by this? lol!
BTW, who the hell asked them anyway. We WILL defend ourselves whether France likes it or not.
The streets of Paris are lined with trees so the German army can march in the shade.
But I suppose a pre-emptive surrender is not out of the question!?!?
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100,000 FRENCH Infantry Type Rifles
Great condition, never fired
( only dropped once ).
Regards, Ivan
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This makes perfect sense (to a Frenchman). Baghdad has ALWAYS been truthful before, right?
He's right! Far more effective than a French attack.
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