France Must Help Depose Saddam-Member of the French National Assembly makes case for supporting Bush

Wall St Journal ^ | March 7, 2003 | JEROME RIVIERE

[SJackson]

PARIS -- Along with other National Assembly members from Jacques Chirac's UMP party I support the president's overall agenda. But I must avow that today the French position on Iraq is causing me and others in my party concern.

The chorus of voices rising in this country to denounce the position of the United States, Britain, Spain or Italy seem to be forgetting on which side France stands. The choice we have to make is not between war and peace, as those who protest against war say, but whether to enforce international law or not.

[DoughtyOne]

Nice

[Mr. Mojo]

Bump for French sanity, rare as it may be.

[The Wizard]

bttt

[kidd]

I guess this is the best we can hope for from a Frenchman: "Let's save the UN"

[livius]

I read just this morning that there are some cooler heads among the French who would like to try to undo some of the damage that Chirac has done to US-French relations, as well as the wiggle out of the embarrassment of making France look like the lackey of an odious dictator.

[alrea]

think of all the heads of "rogue states" who are observing this trial of strength in silence

every killer pretending to be a leader bump

[DB]

Too bad this man is practically alone in his country. When does his recall election begin?

[An.American.Expatriate]

a VERY rare voice of common sense, considering the source.

[DoughtyOne]

I just don't understand what people are thinking world-wide that they don't want to stand up to Hussein. They couldn't care less that he will develop and disburse WMDs. They don't care about the Iraqi people. Basicly, they're idiots. On the board just yesterday was a post about Iraqi scientists arrested for passing information, or some such. Don't these people see Hussein for what he is and understand the need for removal? I guess not. They must be blind or on drugs or both.

[Diva]

Thank you for this. For those of us with French last names it has been a bit embarrassing. I know some French who may not be sure going to war with Saddam is the best option ( I believe it is the only option), but they do not take to the streets comparing Bush to Hitler. It could be, and I pray it is, that Chirac may go so far with his hatred of the US as to wake up a dorment sanity in France.

[livius]

I just don't understand what people are thinking world-wide that they don't want to stand up to Hussein.

I know what you mean. They are so blinded by anti-Americanism that they refuse to admit the objective nature of the danger represented by Saddam. The claims that we are making about Saddam are not just the product of our fevered imaginations or something that we are saying just for the fun of it, but statements of genuine threats. But I guess nothing is more important to some Europeans than expressing their contempt for serious world menaces such as McDonalds and Disneyworld.

[DoughtyOne]

That's about it. Perhaps Saddam promised he'd learn French.

[uncbob]

Amazing excellent analysis by a Frenchmen
Maybe we can trade Daschle for him even up

[Prysson]

All I can say to this is that France and the U.N. are in the 11th hour. So if the Frenchies like this fellow want to salvage there nations relationship with us and the U.N. they better start waking up and applying the correct preasures internally.

[Dudoight]

I wonder if this guy has much of a future in France.

[kaylar]

Someone smart please help me : Why exactly are France, China, and Russia threatening to veto? To judge from the Russian guy's remarks, he actually believes that a veto of the second resolution will prevent war, but everyone else in the world knows the US is going in regardless. So what's the point? Do they think it's just an easy way to get popularity points for their countries? Do they assume that since the US is going in regardless, they can veto with impunity-they'll be no consequences to their actions except that the Third World will like them? Are they trying to make the UN irrelevant, possibly because they think this will (...*somehow*...) make the EU more powerful by default? Are they hoping the UN will survive, but the SC and the veto will be abolished as a result of this debacle? Are they hoping the US will offer them huge bribes? I mean, what are they THINKING? If the US is going in anyway, what do they hope a veto will accomplish? I don't get it.