REVENGE AS FRENCH LOSE £10BN DEAL

The Sunday Mirror (U.K.) ^ | 03/30/03

[Pokey78]

Tony Blair has told officials to halt a £10billion defence contract won by a French firm - as revenge for Jacques Chirac's veto on UN backing for the war on Iraq.

He has ordered Ministers to stop the biggest maritime contract in British history going to French shipbuilders.

The deal for two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers which will be a lynchpin of Britain's defences for the next 20 years was split between UK-based BAE Systems and French firm Thales.

Thales were awarded their share on condition that much of the work was carried out in British shipyards, saving up to 10,000 jobs.

Now, following the US Pentagon's decision to ban any military contracts or co-operation with France, there is a move to rewrite the contract and switch all the work to British firms.

[Nam Vet]

That map is a hoot! Now I won't be FReepin' until I reclean my monitor and keyboard.

Nam Vet

[TheDon]

Revenge is a dish, best served cold.

[paul51]

Hey, at least they'd be fast!

In reverse

[Nucluside]

LOLOMA!!!

[DoughtyOne]

Well son of a Chriaq, excellent!

[annyokie]

I am so pleased that ya'll liked my map! Pass it on!

[cinFLA]

I usually don't miss EXCELLENT news like the above. Anybody remember that happening?

Seems to buried as deep as the US denial of the bombing of the Iraqi market - photos of which were carried on the front page of the SacBee. I keep calling them daily and ask when they will run the story about how it (3/26) was not a US bomb.

ombud@sacbee.com

[DoughtyOne]

There you go. Excellent. Let's skewer France. I ate at a toco place a few weeks ago and had to france every few minutes for days afterwards. My wife said I was a stupid france for eating there in the first place. Thinking she was right, I've just now gotten over feeling like a francehead for the last week or so.

[cinFLA]

Tony, Tony, Tony! You have rapidly become one of my favorite people in the whole world!

This has got to be one of the biggest suprises of the 21st century.

[cinFLA]

Slug=French

A post in really poor taste! Where's the photo!

[Sparky760]

Considering how the frenchies own carrier has worked so far... why the hell did the british even think about this in the first place????

Especially since the French Carrier only goes in reverse

[annyokie]

That's great! Not the "france thing", of course, but I am still laughing!

Anny

[JustPiper]

My brother-in-law transplanted from Greece to France, where he married, brought here back to the US, then dumped here for my sister, so in our family we beat France long ago and he and my sister will love this map ;) He is a French trained chef who I told I must give up his excellent cooking for my beliefs ;)But being he loves our President he understands!

[Delta 21]

What have YOU done today to support the War effort?

[anymouse]

Why the heck would the Brits want their ships built by the French anyway? The French aren't exactly known for their navy or even commercial fleets.

[annyokie]

I hope they enjoy the map! We have laughed ourselves silly over it. And, the shame of it all, we are both half French.

[ApesForEvolution]

Do French ships come with white flags and a yellow streak with deep darkness in their bowels??

[DoughtyOne]

France, the other yellow meat.

[Rose in RoseBear]

<laughing out loud!>Pingpingping to the map!

[Eva]

No, I haven't heard that at all. As a matter of fact, I heard that the Sodexho food contract would not be cancelled.