Triumph ... Parisians were eager
to read copies of the special Sun
Posted on 02/20/2003 7:28:31 PM PST by Pokey78
SACRÉ bleu — Le Worm is really squirming.
French President Jacques Chirac was outraged yesterday after we told his people what we thought of his wobbly policy on a war against Iraq.
We delivered a special edition of The Sun, translated into French, to the streets of Paris.
The front page headline declared: CHIRAC EST UN VER (Chirac Is A Worm). It was alongside a huge picture depicting Chirac as one of the wriggly creatures boring his way out of a map of France.
The story blasted Chirac trying to block an attack on Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
We told our Gallic readers: “We think your president, Jacques Chirac, is a disgrace to Europe by constantly threatening to veto military action to enforce the will of the United Nations in Iraq.”
And we lambasted Chirac for apparently forgetting it was American and British help that saved his country in World War Two.
Our tirade prompted howls of protest from the French government and media. Even Cabinet ministers were called on to defend their leader.
But Chirac did not answer our criticisms himself — because he was too busy having cosy chats with another despicable dictator, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.
Instead, his spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said: “Insults often say more about the people who make them than about those they claim to describe.”
Culture minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon waded in by saying: “It’s aggressive, very disagreeable, pretty vulgar and shows contempt for our country. I’d say they’ve been very badly brought up.”
 Message ... our attack made gripping reading in the Champs Elysées And transport supremo Gilles de Robien, said: “It’s disgusting.” But many ordinary French men and women BACKED The Sun’s assault on their government’s apathy. A member of the army, who asked to remain anonymous, emailed to say:
Our nations have had a lot of differences and wars in past, but since the first great war, we are allies and friends. It’s unforgivable for our president to ignore your soldiers’ sacrifice and I want to say my sympathy to your brave country. The others soldiers like me want to fight this tyrant and kick him out. Another 25-year-old Frenchman wrote: “I found your paper absolutely fabulous. Chirac is a worm and an idiot. “Yes, Chirac is the shame of our country. He is ridiculous. “I just want to tell you and all your readers I have never forgotten American or British soldiers for their help and courage in the Second World War. I’m proud of them. “Don’t judge all French as if they are the worm people.” A German in Paris also applauded our stand. He said: “Congratulations on the Chirac coup. Why don’t you do the same thing on the German Chancellor Schroeder. Many Germans are ashamed and disgusted.” International media, from the BBC to the Wall Street Journal, rushed to cover the fuss sparked by the special Sun. A branch of WH Smith in Paris was inundated with calls from people wanting to reserve copies. And Radio Monte Carlo was flooded by callers to its current affairs phone-in programme Controverse which featured our attack. Listeners rang from all parts of France, as well as Belgium, Germany and Monaco. Student Alex Akhavi, 23, agreed that war against Iraq was necessary if there was proof Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. However, he admired Chirac’s willpower and said: “If he follows it through I think it will be very courageous. “I am not sure we need to go to war because of an argument about oil.” Referring to the special Sun, he admitted: “It is well known that the French lack a sense of humour and can’t laugh at each other let alone have someone else laugh at them. If there is one good thing that has come out of this front page it is that the English know how to have a joke.”
 Keeping up ... French reader gets blunt truth from The Sun yesterday The switchboard at our HQ in Wapping, East London, was jammed with calls from the Continent. We also received thousands of emails from as far away as Mexico, the US, Germany and, of course, France. A huge number supported The Sun. Pierre Rene wrote: “I applaud your courage to ridicule that chicken sh** of Chirac. I knew he was a pompous twit when I had the opportunity of meeting him in person in Colorado a few years back.” “As a Frenchman married to an American, I understood 20 years ago that France was not what it used to be any more and left. “I have since seen France sink in it own contradictions. I am fed up so much with their ineptitude that their opposition to an intervention in Iraq was the last straw. “I have decided to burn my passport in public and give up my French citizenship altogether.” Bruno Giard’s message said: “I would like to compliment you for saying what a lot of French people already think about our president.” And a man called Guillaume said: “I’m French and I can’t say that I disagree with your vision about the French president.” Not all of the emails were complimentary, though. One anonymous dissenter wrote with typical French eloquence: “F*** you and f*** the English people. You can go kiss Bush — he loves it. Another said: “I am French. You are lackeys of American imperialism.”
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
Referring to the special Sun, he admitted: “It is well known that the French lack a sense of humour and can’t laugh at each other let alone have someone else laugh at them. If there is one good thing that has come out of this front page it is that the English know how to have a joke.”
Referring to the special Sun, he admitted: “It is well known that the French lack a sense of humour and can’t laugh at each other let alone have someone else laugh at them. If there is one good thing that has come out of this front page it is that the English know how to have a joke.”
Referring to the special Sun, he admitted: “It is well known that the French lack a sense of humour and can’t laugh at each other let alone have someone else laugh at them. If there is one good thing that has come out of this front page it is that the English know how to have a joke.”
DUBAI, Nov 2 (AFP) - An envoy of French President Jacques Chirac has been secretly shuttling to Baghdad in recent months in a bid to persuade Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to soften his domestic and foreign policies and avert a US strike, a pan-Arab newspaper reported Saturday.
Ee is le happy little nightcrawler, n'est pas?
I don't think it would be much worse. The socialists are in general far more supportive of evil dictatorships, but Chiraq and Saddam have a personal relationship that's unmatched by most world leaders (it's stronger than Bush's relationship with Tony Blair).
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.
French people have bravery, but not our government. I’m French, I’m a soldier, so I can’t give you my name, but I want to say to you about my people. 