Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

President Chirac of France, the Anti-War Axis
Dong-A Ilbo ^ | FEBRUARY 19, 2003 | Jei-Gyoon Park

Posted on 02/20/2003 4:49:38 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

President Chirac of France, the Anti-War Axis

FEBRUARY 19, 2003 22:34

by Jei-Gyoon Park (phark@donga.com)

`From a corrupt politician to a Nobel Prize candidate`

The powerful daily newspaper, Le Monde, reported on the 18th that President Jacques Chirac of France has been nominated as a Nobel Peace Prize Candidate for his leading role in opposing the Iraq War. Just a year ago, President Chirac has been suspicious of various corruptions such as receipt of bribes as well as the misusage of the political fund. The support rate of the first vote was less than 20 % during the Presidential Election occurred in April of last year.

The reason why President Chirac was able to gain a support rate of over 60% as well as the candidacy of the Noble Prize in less than a year is because of his glaring anti-war diplomatic activities after the reelection. President Chirac hindered the United States who was about to carry out a war on Iraq through the first UN Security Council`s Resolution and he also accomplished the second phase of the resolution. Moreover, he displayed that he will exercise a refusal even on the 2nd Resolution, thus causes the United States and England to postpone the submission of the 2nd Resolution.

President Chirac, as the anti-war demonstration strengthened worldwide at the end of the last week, has risen as a prominent leader of an `anti-war axis`, as the French newspapers expressed.

Then, why is he in opposition of the war so strongly? First of all, there are political reasons to consider. Over 80% of the citizens of France oppose the Iraq War and among the residents of France, 8 million people are of Arab heritance. The fact that his political root is within the traditional de Gaulle Party has to receive an attention as well. Charles de Gaulle, the former President of France, had declared a withdrawal from the NATO`s military organization in 1966 and established France as a nuclear holding country.

The anxiety of France on the possibility of losing its influence in Europe due to the numerous pro-American countries of the Central and Eastern Europe enrolling in the European Union with its enlargement has also played a part in this, the European press analyzed. The Economist magazine of England reported that France is strengthening the 2nd Deliberation with Germany to secure the European Union, thus causing repulsions of other countries.

However, on the 18th, which is a day later after President Chirac displayed his intention of exercising a refusal on the 2nd Resolution, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the Prime Minister of France, stated that “This is not the time to talk about the refusal.” However, President Chirac himself gave off reconciliation gestures to the United States by stating, “All the credit goes to the United States if Iraq gets disarmed,” at the interview with the Times on 17th.

This is because of the anxiety of France being left alone in the world if it opposes the war until the very last even when the attack on Iraq gets definite, reported the European press. The French press also analyzed that the movements of boycott activities on the French products within the United States and the position of the 60 French businesses already advanced in Iraq have affected the `double play` of President Chirac and Prime Minister Raffarin.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antiwar; axisofweasels; chirac; france; nobelprize
`From a corrupt politician to a Nobel Prize candidate`

That says it all!

1 posted on 02/20/2003 4:49:38 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
France is as important as Jamaica in international politics. Without the phony UN to prop them up, nobody would pay any attention to them. Its amazing what an abject failure the UN is. Hopefully it will collapse along side Saddam's regime.

The sun set a long time ago on the French Empire. France was instrumental in getting us involved in the Vietnam quagmire. Now that we want to fight a just war for the right reasons, they object. I predict France will experience acts of terrorism, that will make the WTC seem tame in comparison, if they continue down this obstinate path.

2 posted on 02/20/2003 4:56:10 AM PST by Russell Scott
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster


3 posted on 02/20/2003 5:02:28 AM PST by Miles Bennel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Miles Bennel
Re #4

Oh, no! N. Korea will be really pissed if she is passed over France.:)
4 posted on 02/20/2003 5:04:38 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Russell Scott
"I predict France will experience acts of terrorism, that will make the WTC seem tame in comparison, if they continue down this obstinate path"

Unfortunately, probably very true. Want to bet a c-note who thay call to help them out when the attacks start on their soil?
5 posted on 02/20/2003 5:08:04 AM PST by way-right-of-center (it's easy to hide when no one is looking)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Russell Scott

How history will tell the story:

A. The U.N. sent inspectors into Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction - the same WMD Saddamn said he did not have. Forming new alliances, France, Germany, and Belgium, continually sought prolonged inspection times in their attempts to restrain the U.S. and Britian from attacking Saddam. The U.N. Council repeatedly ruled in thir favor.

B. Saddamn, while insisting (and convincing France, Germany, and Belgium) he had no WMD, at the same time threatened the U.S. and Britian to destroy them (WITH THE SAME WMD HE CLAIMED NOT TO HAVE) if they attacked Iraq.

C. The United States and Britian agreed that Saddamn had not complied with U.N. resolution 1440, had WMD, then attacked and removed Saddamn from power to prevent him (or other terrorists) from using them.

D. After the U.S. and Britian attacked Iraq, vast stores of WMD, chemical, biological, and yes - even some nuclear - were uncovered by the prevailing U.S. and British forces.

E. Saddamn and his two sons were tried before a U.N. tribunal and unaimously found to be enemies of minkind perptetuating mass murders on their own people of magnitudes and ferociouceness not seen since Adolph Hitler's actions created the word "genocide." They were summarily executed by firing squads for their crimes against humanity.

F. The Democrats in the United States had their worst election returns in the 2004 elections in that party's history.

G. George W. Bush was elected president for a second term in 2004 by the largest landslide in U.S. history.

H. Ditto for Tony Blair.

I. Hillary Clinton was defeated for his (grin) bid for reelection in New York State.

J. Thanks to the "footdragging" tactics of France and Germany througout the entire world crisis, the United Nations was made to be a laughing stock of historical proportions and was deemed irrelevent and impotent and consequently vaporized into nothingness as did it's predecessor - The League of Nations.

Viva La France - French Military History in a Nutshell (Including *WAR ON TERRORISM*)

6 posted on 02/20/2003 5:11:33 AM PST by Happy2BMe (It's All About You - It's All About Me - It's All About Being Free!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
MonSewer Black Jack Shellac!!!
7 posted on 02/20/2003 5:24:29 AM PST by SwinneySwitch (LIBERATE IRAQ! SUPPORT THE TROOPS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Russell Scott
France is as important as Jamaica in international politics.

True but you must admit, the Jamaican Olympic Bobsled team is awsome ;-)

8 posted on 02/20/2003 5:30:48 AM PST by varon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

I BEG TO DIFFER, BUT THIS SAYS IT ALL!

9 posted on 02/20/2003 6:54:33 AM PST by InShanghai (Saddam will eat pork!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson