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Straw takes war to the French in vitriolic United Nations tirade
The Daily Telegraph ^ | March 8, 2003 | Marcus Warren and Robin Gedye

Posted on 03/07/2003 5:45:49 PM PST by MadIvan

So often the grey man of British diplomacy, Jack Straw last night let rip at the French foreign minister in front of a shocked UN Security Council, calling on the international community to enforce the disarmament of Iraq "on its own terms".

In what one admiring American delegate referred to as a "diplomatic call to arms", Mr Straw spelled out in the clearest terms that time had effectively run out for Saddam Hussein, his lies and his prevarications.

He launched an impassioned tirade at Dominique de Villepin and France's policy on Iraq in an outburst that marked a new extreme of rhetoric in the row over how to deal with Saddam.

Staring M de Villepin in the eye and packing his speech with liberal references to "Dominique", Mr Straw directed what turned into an ad hominem assault on his French counterpart.

Mr Straw heaped scorn on the logic of countries - especially France - that are set on giving Iraq more time. "Dominique, you said that the choice before us was disarmament by peace or disarmament by war," Mr Straw said. "Dominique, that's a false choice."

M de Villepin, by far the most charismatic spokesman for the anti-war camp, had no option but to sit through his reprimand. But the expression on his face - and its colour - betrayed rage at his treatment.

The ambush - the French, like everyone else in the room, had no idea what was coming - was the most heated public spat between a senior British and French official in recent times.

It was all the more unexpected because, as Foreign Secretary, Mr Straw has earned a reputation as one of the most colourless, if solid, performers on the world stage.

Whether by accident or design, Mr Straw deployed two English borrowings from French to tear into his opponent. He attacked the concept of "automaticité", the notion that voting for UN resolutions against Iraq automatically triggered war, which was a "canard", he thundered.

Giving the UN chamber a taste of the invective and emotion normally confined to the Dispatch Box in the Commons, Mr Straw also laid into M de Villepin over his underplaying of the role of US and British troops in the Gulf.

The presence of "young men willing to put their lives on the line for this body, the UN", was the key factor in compelling Saddam to make concessions, not diplomacy, he said.

The passion of his argument over the impact of the military threat as opposed to diplomatic pressure appeared to put Mr Straw off his stride. "Dominique, with respect to you, my good friend, I think it's the other way round. I really do.

"The strong outside pressure is, and let's be blunt about this, the presence of over 200,000 US and UK young men and young women willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of this body the United Nations."

Mr Straw continued: "There is only one possible, sensible conclusion that we can draw. We have to increase the pressure on Saddam Hussein. We have to put this man to the test.

"The Iraqis have the answer already - it may take time to fabricate further falsehoods, but the truth takes only seconds to tell."

He said Britain, the United States and Spain were tabling an amended resolution giving Saddam 10 more days to disarm peacefully and warned fellow foreign ministers on the council that if Iraq did not comply, action must follow.

"The council must send Iraq a clear message that we will resolve this crisis on the United Nations' terms, the terms which the council established a month ago when we unanimously adopted resolution 1441."

Gesticulating to emphasise his points and straining to keep the reading of his notes to a minimum while making eye contact with those seated around him, Mr Straw demanded that the council must not retreat from its demands set out in 1441.

"What we need is an irreversible and strategic decision by Iraq to disarm, to yield to the inspectors all of its weapons of mass destruction and all relevant information which it could and should have provided at any time in the last 12 years."

The international community had a duty to remember that the only reason that Saddam had changed in recent weeks and furnished inspectors with more information "was for one thing only - the pressure on the regime. Strong outside pressure."

The only way to achieve disarmament "is by backing our diplomacy with a credible display of force".

"We have to increase the pressure and put this man to the test," he said of Saddam in a pointed attempt to heighten the impact of his words by demonstrating that Britain felt it was dealing with a recognisable figure rather than a faceless regime.

"He can act with astonishing speed when he wants", by handing over thousands of pages of documents within days when the pressure builds on him.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: blair; bush; chirac; devillepin; france; iraq; saddam; straw; uk; us; warlist
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This is Straw's finest hour. Message to the French: your lying, obfuscations and cynicism is not going to work anymore. We've kicked your arse for nearly a thousand years - a diplomatic skirmish like this is nothing in comparison. You will lose, and look more the fools for losing.

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 03/07/2003 5:45:49 PM PST by MadIvan
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To: Otta B Sleepin; Mr. Mulliner; Semper911; Bubbette; Kip Lange; dixiechick2000; UofORepublican; ...
Bump!
2 posted on 03/07/2003 5:46:04 PM PST by MadIvan (Learn the power of the Dark Side, www.thedarkside.net)
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To: MadIvan
Straw was my hero today! He gave it to the French Weasel with both barrells. This was not only the finest hour for Jack Straw but I would say one of the finest hours in the history of Great Britain! It was fantastic!
3 posted on 03/07/2003 5:49:26 PM PST by PhiKapMom (Get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US)
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To: MadIvan
Unexpected heroes emerge. God bless Jack Straw, it was indeed, his finest hour.
4 posted on 03/07/2003 5:50:02 PM PST by Miss Marple
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To: MadIvan
Agreed. I watched Straw this morning and it was masterful. I half expected Powell to jump up and high-five him.

I wouldn't call it "vitriolic" though. It wasn't meanspirited at all. He was aggressive to be sure, but orderly and precise. It was enthusiasm, not vitriol.

5 posted on 03/07/2003 5:51:11 PM PST by Ramius
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To: MadIvan
America and Britian - or Britain and America, if you wish, will liberate an oppressed people. Again.

Because that is who we are, and that is what we do.

6 posted on 03/07/2003 5:51:28 PM PST by BCrago66
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To: PhiKapMom; MadIvan
He achieved the remarkable today: not only did he rip and shred the French, but he did it most eloquently. If anyone has the transcript, I'd love to have it to send on to friend. It was a masterpiece.
7 posted on 03/07/2003 5:51:45 PM PST by MizSterious
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To: MadIvan
My esteemed MadIvan;

You have outdone yourself. This is one of the finest pieces of work I have witnessed from you. Nice Post; and (insert Texas drawl here) .. jolly well done!
8 posted on 03/07/2003 5:51:57 PM PST by Hodar (American's first. .... help the others, after we have helped our own.)
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To: MadIvan
Egad. I didn't suspect the old boy had it in him. Tally ho!
9 posted on 03/07/2003 5:53:11 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (®)
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To: MadIvan
I'm impressed by Straw's performance (from what I read about it here and what little of it I saw on TV).
10 posted on 03/07/2003 5:53:22 PM PST by syriacus (Schumer..peering over your glasses won't make YOU a judge. You have to work hard, too.)
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To: MadIvan
Yes, Straw was wonderful.
11 posted on 03/07/2003 5:54:22 PM PST by ellery
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To: MadIvan
Hehehe, gotta love it. Wish I could of seen that :)
12 posted on 03/07/2003 5:54:23 PM PST by TheSpottedOwl (Why are all the streets in France lined with trees? So the German army can march in the shade!)
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To: MadIvan
yea, I've got hand it to him. Until recently I didn't think too highly of him but I applaud his efforts now.
13 posted on 03/07/2003 5:54:31 PM PST by Texas_Jarhead
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To: *war_list
http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list
14 posted on 03/07/2003 5:55:30 PM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: MadIvan; All
Great post. Long live England and thank you Jack Straw. This is a good start to put the world back on the course it should be on.
15 posted on 03/07/2003 5:55:39 PM PST by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
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To: MadIvan
The C-Span replay is on right now, except that it was just Germany and now Syria. Does anyone know whether I've missed France, the US, and the UK, or are these the prior speeches to those? I'm fighting my wife for control of the TV. ;-)
16 posted on 03/07/2003 5:55:45 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: MadIvan
Tony Blair and Jack Straw are the most admired men in the world, after our beloved George Bush. Just the opinion of this senior citizen.
17 posted on 03/07/2003 5:56:25 PM PST by OldFriend
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To: TheSpottedOwl
You can see it again: right now the Security Council meeting is replaying on C-Span. Syria is up now. From memory, Britain should be up....very approximately, in a half hour.
18 posted on 03/07/2003 5:56:31 PM PST by BCrago66
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To: MadIvan
I say, Jack Straw for Secretary General of the UN! -- and not Bill Clinton. Sadly, I think we are doomed to get Clinton though.
19 posted on 03/07/2003 5:58:10 PM PST by swampfox98
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To: MadIvan
In what one admiring American delegate referred to as a "diplomatic call to arms", Mr Straw spelled out in the clearest terms that time had effectively run out for Saddam Hussein, his lies and his prevarications

I liked what Fox News called it .. a "Diplomatic Body Slam"

20 posted on 03/07/2003 5:58:15 PM PST by Mo1 (RALLY FOR AMERICA - VALLEY FORGE,PA MARCH 16, 2003 1:00 PM)
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