Americans swamp French Embassy 'It never stopped, it was crazy,' said diplomat after 1,000 calls

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | 12 Feb. 03 | Staff Writer

[txradioguy]

France's resistance to U.S. policy on Iraq, capped off by its role in blocking U.S.-backed plans to bolster Turkish defenses against a possible Iraqi missile attack, is resulting in a massive outpouring of U.S. anger against France, evidenced by the 1,124 angry calls received by the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., in just one day.

Coming in the wake of Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech to the U.N. on Iraq, the embassy felt under siege, reports the Scotsman newspaper.

"It never stopped. It was crazy. Unbelievable," said one French diplomat.

Although the embassy's Nathalie Loiseau notes that some letters and e-mail are supportive of Paris' position, she admits in a Financial Times report that some "would like to boycott France and French products."

With some U.S. talk radio shows openly calling for repatriation of America's war dead, noted the Scotsman, the phrase "if it weren't for us you'd be speaking German" has become a popular refrain.

"The French attitude is self-defeating," says Gary Schmitt of the Project for a New American Century, said the report. "They are undermining the credibility of the U.N. and now throwing NATO into disarray. I don't know if they realize how they're also causing a split in Europe. If you total up all the things they are interested in, you find that they're making a hash of all of them."

Meanwhile, as WorldNetdaily reported this week, France was found to be more unpopular among Americans now than at any time in the past decade in a new Gallup poll. Unfavorable opinions of France have jumped 17 points in the past year while favorable opinions have dropped 20 points.

American attitudes toward Germany, another European power unwilling to support the U.S. on Iraq, also have become more negative, according to the annual Gallup Poll Social Series Update on World Affairs, conducted Feb. 3-6.

In its editorial yesterday the Washington Post argued that France and Germany now "behave as if they share the same over-riding goal as the Iraqi dictator: thwarting U.S. action even when it is supported by most other NATO and European nations."

Great Britain ranked at the top of the list of 26 nations with a +83 percent favorable rating, while Iraq rounded off the bottom with a -85 percent score. Iran and North Korea, the other two nations identified by President Bush as comprising the "axis of evil," joined Iraq at bottom of the list.

Bush 'disappointed'

The White House yesterday scoffed at Paris's offer to fortify U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq after President Bush complained he was "disappointed" with France's refusal to cooperate with NATO.

The Bush administration's exasperation with Paris is affecting public perception, reported the Financial Times, noting as an example the New York Post's coverage of the international dispute. The paper ran a picture of WWII American soldiers' graves near Omaha Beach Monday, headlined: "They died for France but France has forgotten."

New York Post reporter Steve Dunleavy, depicted near the grave of a young American soldier, wrote: "The air is chilled, but I feel an unnatural glow of rage -- I want to kick the collective butts of France. These kids died to save the French from a tyrant named Adolf Hitler. And now, as more American kids are poised to fight and die to save the world from an equally vile tyrant, Saddam Hussein, where are the French? Hiding. Chickening out. Proclaiming, Vive les wimps!"

Presidential press secretary Ari Fleischer said yesterday that French President Jacques Chirac hadn't mentioned France's intention to block Turkey's request for NATO assistance during his meeting last week with Bush. He claimed Bush didn't feel exactly "blindsided," but rather "disappointed at the "setback" for both NATO and Turkey.

Clinton administration deputy national security adviser Jim Steinberg says anti-French feeling is increasing in the U.S., according to the Financial Times. Concerned that it could get worse, Steinberg added: "The next two weeks are going to have a profound impact on transatlantic relations. There is a consensus that whatever the U.S. has done wrong, it does not justify the way the French and the Germans are playing this."

[txradioguy]

Then if, as you say, the majority of the country of France is "pro-American", why haven't those in Framce who support us, gotten together to say something? Surely there's a way a petition or letter in a major newspaper or something along those lines that the American people could see and perhaps change our perception could be done.

[B.Bumbleberry]

I for one am ironically grateful to the French and Germans. This is why. It gives Saddam encouragement to continue his stall and possibly miscalculate that an invasion can be avoided. He may think he is making progress. Then we can go in and clean out the rat's nest once and for all, rather than have a more ambiguous ending to this mess.

[smith288]

No, it isn't just the sparse rural people, people in towns and cities are no more liberal than the average conservative joe over here Then why are they electing liberal baffoons?

[hapy]

sniff sniff,sniff

pewwwwwwwwwwwww

you liberals do stink

[SerpentDove]

Scream it from the housetops. The French are nothing but a bunch of *ussies.

[mgc1122]

Just because you haven't heard it doesn't mean it didn't happen..

Any links to back it up?

[hapy]

sniff sniff
yup you do stink

Liberal pewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[txradioguy]

hautiness? If anything sir, it is your elected government that is displaying "haughtiness" by holding up eliminating a thug like Saddam. And denying a NATO ally like Turkey protection from possible attack. All because they don't want Turkey in the EU and it gives them the added bonus of jabbing a thumb in the eye of the U.S.

[smith288]

Of course there is going to be some pro American people in every country in Europe like France has. But that doesnt negate the fact that the majority elect anti-americans. Hellbent on messing up our just cause of removing Saddam. They stop us from completing our job, they will hear it from us.

If you are in line with this cause that the USA has taken up, speak up, make your damn voice heard and quick telling us to stop reacting like any normal person would act.

[Gaelic]

C'est les Francais qui m'appel un cochon Irelandais quand je suis un eleve dans l'ecole St Georges. Le noms propre pour ces Francais est enfants chiennes.Le noms pour Chirac est Vichie.

[Enemy Of The State]

"Behold the Power of Cheese."

That line is worth a million dollars!

[meandog]

Bon Dieu, mes amis, ces Américains ne se rendent pas compte comment la France les a sauvés quand ils combattaient pour leur indépendance...

[txradioguy]

Agreed. But as the perception rises that the entire country of France is doing this delay of the Iraq invasion, those conservative voices in both countries will have to seek out a media outlet in this country to make their opinion known. So far the media voices that claim to represent France and Germany that have appeared on American television support the opposition. Since you seem to have an inside track on French politics let me ask you a hypothetical question? Will there be an outcry from the population as a whole if when we free Iraq, we find doccuments that the French gov't supplied Iraq with items that are forbidden under current U.N. resolutions? Not trying to be sarcstic in any way. I'm genuinely curious on that aspect.

[Diana Rose]

Sounds like someone's ox just got gored.

[Capitalist Eric]

You who think the French are "surrender monkeys" are also ignorant...

Hmmm... you protest too much...

Are you French, or what???

Besides, regardless of what you think of those SURRENDER-MONKEYS, actions speak far louder than words... And their actions speak VOLUMES. That you are too stupid to understand this, changes the fact not at all...

If you think France is so good...? Than LEAVE. MOVE there, and don't ever bring your sorry @ss back to America...

[meandog]

They really called you an "Irish Pig" when you were an 11-year-old in school?