French begged Bush to take call

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 17, 2003 | Toby Harnden

[MadIvan]

A clear-the-air telephone call between President Jacques Chirac and President George W Bush this week was secured only by repeated pleading from French diplomats, it emerged yesterday. The 20-minute call on Tuesday was the first time they had spoken for more than two months.

When asked if the talk had been "positive", Ari Fleischer, Mr Bush's spokesman, said: "From the President's point of view, he would call it a business-like conversation." M Chirac's spokesman said he had been "pragmatic" about post-war Iraq.

Before the call could be arranged, Jean-David Levitte, the French ambassador to Washington, had to lobby Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political strategist, and Stephen Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, at the White House.

Final American agreement to the call was secured only after discussions on Monday between Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, and Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister.

Last week, Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defence secretary, told senators: "The French have behaved in ways . . . that have been very damaging to Nato. I think France is going to pay some consequences, not just with us but with other countries."

A senior Bush administration official told The Washington Post: "What the French did . . . was serious and, yes, it is a problem. How much of a problem and how lasting it is going to be depend on the French. They can choose to make it much more serious, in which case the consequences will be there, and it will be very bad."

Mr Bush is known for being extremely slow to forgive those who have crossed him, particularly if he feels that they have been disloyal or dishonest. He was livid with Gerhard Schröder after the Chancellor's election campaign, which was widely seen as anti-American.

The anger towards France is deeper and more pervasive. French firms have suffered a loss of income from cancelled American orders and officials argue that the successful French attempt to scupper a second United Nations resolution extended far beyond M Chirac.

Mr Powell is understood to be still furious about the way in which he was treated by M de Villepin when he was called to a meeting supposedly about the international war against terrorism, only to be surprised by the French foreign minister declaring France's opposition to war with Iraq.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

nd officials argue that the successful French attempt to scupper a second United Nations resolution extended far beyond M Chirac.

I thought the French were opposed to the 19th resolution on Iraq, not the second...

[small voice in the wilderness]

Oh jeez. chirac wearing his hair-shirt. Please, this is our chance to be done with them once and for all.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Before the call could be arranged, Jean-David Levitte, the French ambassador to Washington, had to lobby Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political strategist, and Stephen Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, at the White House.

Final American agreement to the call was secured only after discussions on Monday between Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, and Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister.

LOL!!! This is hilarious.

[Beck_isright]

And after watching FNC tonight and hearing that the Mossad and US intelligence think that the French are using private planes to ferry select Iraqis out of Damascus back to France, I'm sure relations will deteriorate even worse. Especially when the part about the French intelligence agency helping Sadamn smuggle WMD's into Syria.

[Howlin]

Mr Bush is known for being extremely slow to forgive those who have crossed him, particularly if he feels that they have been disloyal or dishonest.

My kind of guy.

[southernnorthcarolina]

France... France. Name sounds vaguely familiar. Let me think.

Oh, yeah. It's a little country between Andorra and Luxembourg. Don't think it ever amounted to much. Built themselves a big arch, in celebration of what I can't imagine. And a hideous space-needle type thing.

Wonder why W. bothered to take the call, being busy with matters of more consequence and all...

[DoctorMichael]

Bush should of left the Frogs 'on hold' listening to orchestral remakes of bad showtunes for a few more weeks.

[the Deejay]

I think the french should have some whine with their cheese.

Political suicide for President Bush if he lets any of the foxes in the hen house.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Now, THAT'S FUNNY !

[JZoback]

Bush: "Hello, Jacques is that you?"

Jacques: "Hello George. I am vey happy you took my call, I was hoping we could work out ou........."

Bush: "Click"

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Come on down to the Ozarks. We speak English.

[cajungirl]

Weasels! I hate the French and will never ever change my mind. sort of like my parents would never buy a japanese car after WWII.

[thucydides]

Chirac badly needed to make this call in order to pull back from his position that was incurring widespread condemnation even in his own party. In the end, Bush had to take the call to avoid being called petty by the press.
But Chirac's motives haven't changed. The French people seem quite content with a deeply corrupt and profoundly immoral leadership, that in exchange for huge amounts of money coming through oil companies like ELF that were given sweetheart Iraqi oil deals, agrees to permit heavy arms exportation to Iraq that contravened the UN sanctions. French behavior in all of this has cost American lives and treasure, and Bush would be remiss to forget it. Certainly, the American public will be slow to forget. What did it for me was polls in Le Monde showing that between 25% and 33% of French actually wanted Saddam to stay in power, and another amount of about equal size simply didn't care. This is Vichy quality stuff: these people are moral pygmies.

[Miss Marple]

It was the ubiquitous Bill Kristol who said Bush called Chirac.

[Miss Marple]

NO! Chirac called Bush!!

[tiamat]

I heard it was the other way around: Chirac called Dubya.

Gosh.

I wonder if Dubya has call waiting?

snicker

Tia

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL, but look where they are now…

[schaketo]

Here's a short refresher course:

A list of French companies products to boycott. Some are well known, but many are not. Here goes.

It lists French products to boycott. You will probably be surprised to learn the French own everything from Wild Turkey to Car & Driver to Motel 6 to cheesy Spencer Gifts to disgusting Democrat schlock-show host Jerry Springer.

Air France
Air Liquide
Airbus
Alcatel - Based in Paris France
Allegra (Allergy Medication) - Produced by Aventis Pharmaceuticals based in Strasbourg, France
Aqualung (Including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest)
AXA Advisors
Bank of the West - Owned by BNP Paribas
Beneteau (boats)
BF Goodrich - Owned by Michelin
BIC (Razors, Pens & Lighters) - Started in 1945 by Marcel Bich. Originally based just outside of Paris. Began trading on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. 40.5% Publicly traded. Bich family still owns 33.5%.
Biotherm (Cosmetics)
Black Bush
Bollinger (Champagne)
Car & Driver Magazine
Cartier
Chanel
Chivas Regal (Scotch)
Christian Dior
Club Med (Vacations) - Owned in part by Paris based CDC (Caisse des Dépôts
et Consignations)
Culligan (owned by Vivendi)
Dannon (Yogurt & Dairy Foods)
DKNY - LVMH acquired 100% of Gabrielle Studio Inc., the privately owned licenser of Donna Karan trademarks back in 2001.
Dom Perignon
Durand Crystal
Elle Magazine
Essilor Optical Products
Evian
Fina Gas Stations
Fina Oil - Billions invested in Iraqi Oil fields
First Hawaiian Bank
George Magazine
Givenchy
Hennessy
Houghton Mifflin (books)
International Herald Tribune - 181 ave Charles-de-Gaulle - F-92521 Neuilly - FRSource:World Business Council for Sustainable Development '00 [Domain Registration], [Corporate Profile]
Jacobs Creek - Owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989
Jameson (wiskey)
Jerry Springer (talk show)
Krups (coffee and cappaccino makers)
Lancome
Le Creuset (Cookware)
L'Oreal (Health & Beauty Products)
Louis Vuitton
Marie Claire
Martel Cognac
Maybelline
Méphisto (Footwear & Apparel)
Michelin (Tires & Auto Parts) - Their phone number is: (33) 1 45 66 15 53 in France
Mikasa Crystal and Glass (purchased by ARC int'l in 2001)
Moet (Champagne)
Motel 6 - 33, Avenue du Maine- 75755 Paris Cedex 15 France
Motown Records
MP3.com
Mumms (Champagne)
Nissan (Cars) - Majority owned by Renault
Nivea
Normany Butter
Parents Magazine
Peugeot (Automobiles) - Pronounced "Pooh Joe", must be French
Pierre Cardin
Playstation Magazine
ProScan - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France
Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising) - Here's a French connection that'll tick ya off--a couple years ago Publicis bought the Leo Burnett Advertising agency and that agency does the "Go Army" campaign. Sickening ain't it?

RCA (televisions & electronics) - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France
Red Magazine
Red Roof Inns - Owned by the Accor group based in France
Renault (Automobiles)
Road & Track Magazine
Roquefort Cheese - All Roquefort cheese is made in France
Rowenta (Toasters, Irons, Coffee makers, etc)
Royal Canadian
Salomon (Skis)
Seagram's Gin
Sierra Software and Computer Games
Smart & Final
Sofitel (Hotels) - Owned by the Accor group based in France
Sparkletts (Water) - Owned by Danone, based in France
Spencer Gifts
Sundance Channel
Taylor Made (Golf)
Technicolor
T-Fal (Kitchenware)
The Glenlivet (Scotch
Total Gas Stations
UbiSoft (Computer Games)
Uniroyal
Uniroyal Tires - Owned by Michelin
Universal Studios (Music, Movies & Theme Parks) - Universal Studios is owned by Vivendi-Universal, headquartered in Paris France
USFilter
Veritas Group
Veuve Clicquot Champagne
Vittel
Vivendi - Vivendi Headquarters, Paris France
Wild Turkey (bourbon)
Woman's Day Magazine
Yoplait - France-based Sodiaal owns a 50% stake of Yoplait
Yves Saint Laurent
Yema watches
Zodiac Inflatable Boats
Hutchinson Tires (bicycle) www.hutchinson.fr
Mavic (bicycle) rims www.mavic.com
Zefal (bicycle accessories) www.zefal.com

Please add to the list and email to your like-minded friends.

[6ppc]

Pardon me while I laugh my head off at the idea of the French begging. ;)

Let me reflect on that image for a few minutes...

.

.

BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[lawgirl]

YEah! Make em beg W!!!