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Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance. (SURRENDER MONKEY BARF ALERT!!!!)
Drudge Report ^ | 17 Feb. 2003 | Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance, warns on EU membership

Posted on 02/17/2003 3:11:15 PM PST by txradioguy

Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance, warns on EU membership

By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer

BRUSSELS, Belgium - French President Jacques Chirac launched a withering attack Monday on eastern European nations who signed letters backing the U.S. position on Iraq, warning it could jeopardize their chances of joining the European Union (news - web sites).

Latest news: • Iraq Reports 1st Flight by U-2 Spy Plane AP - 42 minutes ago • U.S., Britain Push for Iraq Resolution AP - 1 hour, 13 minutes ago • U.S. Considers New U.N. Iraq Resolution AP - Mon Feb 17,12:19 PM ET Special Coverage

"It is not really responsible behavior," he told a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

Chirac was angered when EU candidates Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined pro-U.S. EU members such as Britain, Spain and Italy last month in a letter supporting Washington's line on Iraq against the more dovish stance of France and Germany.

Paris was further upset when 10 other eastern European nations signed a similar letter a few days later.

France argued that the moves aggravated splits in the 15-nation EU and backed the ideas put forward by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld who had earlier spoke of France and Germany as "old Europe" in contrast to the easterners seeking to join the EU and NATO (news - web sites).

"Concerning the candidate countries, honestly I felt they acted frivolously because entry into the European Union implies a minimum of understanding for the others," Chirac told reporters after an emergency EU summit on Iraq.

He warned the candidates the position could be "dangerous" because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify last December's decision for 10 new members to join the bloc on May 1, 2004.

Chirac particularly warned Romania and Bulgaria, who are still negotiating to enter the bloc in 2007.

"Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate," Chirac said. "If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way."

Britain, Spain and other EU nations had suggested the candidate nations attend Monday's emergency summit on Iraq, but France and Germany opposed the idea.

Although Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) were the driving forces behind the letter backing America and EU members Italy, Denmark and Portugal also signed up, Chirac saved his wrath for the candidates.

"When you're in the family you have more rights than when you're knocking on the door," he said.

Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta are set to join in May 2004. Lagging behind economically, Romania and Bulgaria were told to wait three more years.

Instead of attending the EU summit, the candidates are due to travel to Brussels Tuesday for a briefing on its outcome by Greece, which currently holds the EU presidency.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis denied they had been excluded from the summit because of their backing for Washington, insisting rules require the treaties be signed first.

"We will not discuss pro-American or anti-American positions," Simitis told a news conference. "The candidate countries will be members" soon, and "we have to proceed together."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: Ciexyz
Jacques Ch-Iraq can go F**k himself. Then he can go to Hell.
161 posted on 02/17/2003 5:38:25 PM PST by tomahawk
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To: borkrules
France, the nation whose people average the use of TWO cakes of soap PER YEAR.
162 posted on 02/17/2003 5:38:43 PM PST by Ciexyz
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To: tomahawk

163 posted on 02/17/2003 5:44:21 PM PST by AntiDemocrat
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To: dogbyte12
Thanks. bttt...
164 posted on 02/17/2003 5:49:42 PM PST by MeekOneGOP (Bu-bye SADdam. You're soon to meet your buddy Stalin in Hades.)
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To: txradioguy
What a pompous arse! Good grief, I think this goes beyond anything I've seen from this moron yet when it comes to sheer arrogance. Has he not noticed that it's HIS position that's the minority position? How dare someone SPEAK? Missed an "opportunity to keep quiet?" This is unbelievable language to have come from a head of state!

MM

165 posted on 02/17/2003 5:50:35 PM PST by MississippiMan
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To: dogbyte12
Bump for future reference.
166 posted on 02/17/2003 5:51:56 PM PST by Truth29
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To: MississippiMan
Well, I think we are now seeing the results of 8 years of deferring our foreign policy to the U.N. Some how the Europeans, specifically France & Germany, thought that we had become subservient to them and beholden to the U.N. And they failed to realize that the Clintoon years were only a hiccup in the timeline of U.S. history.
167 posted on 02/17/2003 5:53:27 PM PST by txradioguy (HOOAH! Not just a word, A way of life!)
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To: WhiteKnight
For the sake of accuracy, while it was a good statement, it was former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin who made the accordion statement. ;-)

MM

168 posted on 02/17/2003 5:55:24 PM PST by MississippiMan
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To: txradioguy
And they failed to realize that the Clintoon years were only a hiccup in the timeline of U.S. history.

More like a nasty fart.

MM

169 posted on 02/17/2003 6:01:00 PM PST by MississippiMan
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To: txradioguy
France is a nation in decline and Chirac knows it. For example, France is now spending 12 percent of its GDP on public pensions compared to a little over 4 percent in the US. Only 16 percent of French citizens 60-65 are still working compared to 38 percent in the UK. This year 550,000 workers will retire on pension. In three years the number will be 800,000. The demographic time bomb (declining birth rate coupled with an aging population) will result by 2040 in one worker for every pensioner compared to two for each pensioner now. The French politicians must make some hard decisions now, ie. before this Summer. Some options discussed include entending the working life by six years, raising contributions by one-half or reducing benefits by one third. Or encourage workers to save for their own retirement.

What does this all mean? France will be forced to reduce its expenditures for all other items, including defence, as public pensions consume more and more of their budget. It is something we should not replicate with Social Security and Medicare. France will become less and less of a world power, economically and militarily. Moreover, culturally with one out of every 10 Frenchmen a Moslem and the percentage will continue to increase due to the higher birth rate of Muslims and immigration. The very character of the nation is changing, which may make it almost unrecognizable in 30 to 40 years.

170 posted on 02/17/2003 6:03:42 PM PST by kabar
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To: kabar
Well, he is also pandering to (if I remember correctly) a 40% Muslim population in his country too. Funny, I keep remembering all the RATS talking about how we needed to follow the example that Eurpoe was setting as far as healthcare, work days, et. al. I thank God that we didn't take those suggestions more seriously.
171 posted on 02/17/2003 6:07:25 PM PST by txradioguy (HOOAH! Not just a word, A way of life!)
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To: dogbyte12
Yummy info--thanks and bump!
172 posted on 02/17/2003 6:12:16 PM PST by NautiNurse (Usama bin Laden has produced more tapes than Steely Dan)
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To: txradioguy
[said Chirac], "Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate," Chirac said. "If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way."

Hey, Jacque, ol' buddy, ol' pal. It's "speak softly and carry a big stick". Not the other way around...

So, that's the big benefit of joining the EU. You get to turn your foreign policy over to the French!

173 posted on 02/17/2003 6:12:45 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE.)
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To: txradioguy
He is not acting like a man in power. Plus they accuse the US of throwing its weight around.
174 posted on 02/17/2003 6:17:52 PM PST by VRWC_minion ( Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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To: txradioguy
Not quite 40 percent--more lie 10 percent at most. There are anywhere between 3 to 5 million Muslims now out of a population of over 50 million. Check out http://www.pakistanlink.com/nayyer/11102000.html France has the largest Muslim population in Europe. Many Muslims see it as a beachhead into Europe.
175 posted on 02/17/2003 6:19:42 PM PST by kabar
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To: txradioguy
Chirac and his fellow conspirator Schroeder never DREAMED the secret of their aid to Iraq would ever become public. BILL CLINTON was PRESIDENT. His successor was supposed to be OWL GORE, who spent 8 years keeping treasonous secrets and committing a few of his own. Chirac and Schroeder face RUIN if U.S. troops get into Iraq and disclose their violation of U.N. sanctions and Saddam's BRIBES to Chirac. Chirac is DESPERATE to stop Bush. And today's action showed it.
176 posted on 02/17/2003 6:21:04 PM PST by Man of the Right
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To: kabar
4 million Muslims in France. 8%.
177 posted on 02/17/2003 6:22:06 PM PST by Man of the Right
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To: txradioguy
Their chance of becoming the leader in Europe is slipping away and desperate times call for desperate measures. Chirac sounds like a child who warns other children in the neighborhood to not play with the new child. I don't think these nations are going to lose sleep or even worry about the effects of backing the United States because what can France do to them really? LOL....it's one thing to pretend to be a leader, it's another to really be one.

178 posted on 02/17/2003 6:22:29 PM PST by Arpege92
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To: Man of the Right
I agree. Clintoon had his secret pact w/ the ChiComs and the DPRK. France and Germany had their deal with iraq. backs were being mutually scratched everyewhere. The turd in their socialist punchbowl was Mr. Living Brain Donor not winning the election to continue the duplicity.
179 posted on 02/17/2003 6:23:23 PM PST by txradioguy (HOOAH! Not just a word, A way of life!)
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To: txradioguy
Bush is holding his fire on France for some reason. Does he think they will self destruct with their own rope ?
180 posted on 02/17/2003 6:26:05 PM PST by VRWC_minion ( Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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