Lawmaker to propose removing soldiers' remains from French soil

The Orlando Sentinel (via San Luis Obispo) ^ | March 12, 2003 | Tamara Lytle

[The_Expatriate]

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - First it was French fries and French toast. Now the bones of U.S. servicemen are being dragged into the conflict between France and the United States over war in Iraq.

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., plans to introduce a bill Thursday proposing that the families of the thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen buried in France and Belgium be allowed to dig up their remains and have them shipped home.

[Husker24]

I heard somewhere a couple of weeks ago that the new French history books left out the part about the D-Day invasion.

[Jolly Rodgers]

I feel France is involved in dirty dealing for economic reasons. Living in California offers a great look into how silly France is as a country. 2x the population, same socialist economy and a smaller GDP. Just makes me laugh. I not exactly a fan of the French. However, I do recognize them as a sovereign nation and that it was the US that started the bullying on this UN vote. My preference would be to dump the UN, quit looting the taxpayers to send money overseas to aid any country, and get busy busting the chops of globalists who want to regulate/control world trade. National defense should be exactly that, and we could roll back all the blatantly fascist legislation that's been rolling off the congressional presses in recent years. We've got a lot more serious things to worry about than France and Iraq.

[Edmund Burke]

Well put. You are exactly right.

[davisdoug]

I agree 110% with your statements. A soverign nation in legitimate diplomacy is one thing. Last I heard France was actively advancing ideals to certain nations with the direct goal of thwarting the USA. An act of war in my opinion. As far as the UN goes I give more respect to my local government in Davis, CA than those idiots. And that ain't saying much.

[Dr. Frank fan]

[While we are at it, you can also take back the statue of liberty. If you aren't too ashamed to look at it. We'll visit 9-11 monuments instead.] The way you're going, there will be plenty of them to visit, too.

Was that a threat to JasonC on your part?

Or was it just a cowardly threat-by-hypothetical-proxy ("some abstract unnamed third party will probably attack you for what you just said")?

I'm just curious.

[Jolly Rodgers]

Last I heard France was actively advancing ideals to certain nations with the direct goal of thwarting the USA. An act of war in my opinion.

I think that might be a typo. If not, please explain what you meant by advancing "ideals," and what nations are you speaking of. I know that the US has been offering massive amounts of cash and military aid in an attempt to buy votes in the affirmative for war. I would imagine that if it is legitimate for us to pursue our agenda in that fashion, by extention it should be legitimate for other countries to do the same.

[veronica]

They have a right to oppose our policy, but working so assiduously to derail us is another thing altogether. Actions have consequences, and disinterring American soldiers aside, France needs to pay a price for it's hypocrisy. Vile hypocrisy of 'Chiraq'

[Jolly Rodgers]

Was that a threat to JasonC on your part?

Nope. Just reality. Perhaps you haven't been paying attention, but the administration has been trying very hard to make it clear that their policy of going to war with Iraq is going to INCREASE the threat of terrorism on our soil. Consequently, if someone is predisposed to worship altars to death and destruction, rather than revere a monument to liberty, they are likely to get the opportunity.

Or was it just a cowardly threat-by-hypothetical-proxy ("some abstract unnamed third party will probably attack you for what you just said")?

Whatever.

I'm just curious.

You're something, alright.

[Dr. Frank fan]

What are you mad about?

Dunno about davisdoug, but I'll field that. I'm mad that France is bending over backwards trying to prevent the US from engaging in self-defense, and is hypocritically standing on a high horse while doing it, when their real reasons boil down to stuff like oil contracts and silly knee-jerk posturing.

It would be one thing for France to have an opinion about an impending US-Iraq war. Everyone has opinions. But just where the h**l do they get off trying to stop us, by saying they'll veto no matter what, and even campaigning in other countries to vote against us? What the h**l business is it of France whether the US ousts the ruling regime of Iraq? It's not even like we're even asking them to participate, for pete's sake.

That's what I'm mad about.

[Jolly Rodgers]

They have a right to oppose our policy, but working so assiduously to derail us is another thing altogether. Actions have consequences, and disinterring American soldiers aside, France needs to pay a price for it's hypocrisy. Vile hypocrisy of 'Chiraq'

Are you of the opinion that countries should be punished for working to protect their business interests in foreign countries? What kind of price would you like to impose on France?

[Hadean]

Ridiculous. The grounds of that cemetery isn't French territory anyway. It's American, just like our embassies.

[JasonC]

Bring it. I'll make sure there are plenty of pretty cemetaries in the countries the attackers come from.

[Sparky760]

I think it is clear that they are referring to those that wanted this to happen and was probably requested by some families. I know my dad is furious at the europeans as a veteran. This whole issue of France and Germany badmouthing us has pissed a lot of people off and touched people's heart in a bad way. Right or wrong this is just another indication of what a serious mistake they have made. Lord help them when they need our help.

[Jolly Rodgers]

Dunno about davisdoug, but I'll field that. I'm mad that France is bending over backwards trying to prevent the US from engaging in self-defense, and is hypocritically standing on a high horse while doing it, when their real reasons boil down to stuff like oil contracts and silly knee-jerk posturing.

How on God's green earth can you twist what we're planning to do to Iraq as self defense? This I've got to hear!

It would be one thing for France to have an opinion about an impending US-Iraq war. Everyone has opinions. But just where the h**l do they get off trying to stop us, by saying they'll veto no matter what, and even campaigning in other countries to vote against us? What the h**l business is it of France whether the US ousts the ruling regime of Iraq? It's not even like we're even asking them to participate, for pete's sake.

France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The closest thing we have to justifying an attack on Iraq is that it is in violation of Security Council resolutions. In other words, we wish to place ourselves in the position of acting under UN authority. France does not agree with that action. Their reasons are their own. As a matter of fact, they are very similar to reasons that the US has stood upon in the past when blocking other actions that UN member nations wanted to take. You act like you own France. You don't. It is a sovereign nation.

That's what I'm mad about.

So mad that you would alienate the entire world by throwing a tantrum until you get your way?

[Jolly Rodgers]

Bring it. I'll make sure there are plenty of pretty cemetaries in the countries the attackers come from.

Get off on death, do ya?

[Dr. Frank fan]

So, where do we get off making demands and threatening them over the dead bodies of WWII veterans? It's a disgrace. A downright despicable little tantrum that people are throwing.

For once, I agree with you, on this point. The idea is very silly and smacks of cheap opportunism.

France is a sovereign and independent nation. It isn't a puppet on strings like Afghanistan.

What is this "puppet on strings" trash? WE ARE NOT ASKING THEM TO DO ANYTHING. We, and Britain and Australia, are going to war against Iraq. And France is vigorously trying to stop us, for some unknown, unexplained reason.

Again: we are not asking them to participate in the war. It'd be one thing if we were trying to force them to contribute troops; they could say "no, we don't want to" and I'd respect that. But that's not what we're saying. We're saying that we are going to attack Iraq. France isn't even invited, and yet, they're still saying "no, we don't want to". Who asked them?

We've no business dictating their vote in the UN.

They are a disinterested party and therefore they could at worst abstain. Since they are not only not going to abstain, but are actively working against us, it is only right and proper to hold them responsible for the outrageous position they are taking. Yes, they have the right to their vote, but we also have the right to judge that vote.

So just how would you have us react to this ridiculous "please vote No against and throw roadblocks against whatever the Americans want" campaign they've been running for six months, anyway? They have the right to act like jerkwads, and we have the right to get angry at them for being such jerkwads.

[Dr. Frank fan]

It's almost as if people are trying to imply that by refusing to sanction an attack on Iraq is synonymous with disrespecting the dead from the September 11th attacks.

The French are not "refusing to sanction" it. They are actively trying to stop it with all of their energies.

Not the same thing.

[Jolly Rodgers]

So just how would you have us react to this ridiculous "please vote No against and throw roadblocks against whatever the Americans want" campaign they've been running for six months, anyway?

I would thank them. That's what.

[veronica]

Nobody is throwing a tantrum. We don't like the despicable way France is stabbing America in back, while coddling a despot who is in bed with homicide bombers, and who is connected to the savages who killed 3000 people on 9-11. I would say that is a fairly normal reaction.

[davisdoug]

Comma inside quotes is a typo. Anyone with "EYES WIDE OPEN" can figure that there most likely is an economic reason why France may be engaging other countries against US desires. This entire UN process is about IRAQ. France IMHO has made it an opportunity to engage the US in a high stakes poker game to hope that the EU will have meaning. EU economy is larger than US in total. EU military might if united could not fold my laundry. I just feel that a larger geo-political play is not best handled in this way. We can crush France in a whim. It is already under way with the purposeful devaluation of the greenback vs euro.