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Fighting words as de Villepin stands firm
Tuff toikinâ from the worldâs most expensively coiffeured two-bit mot-merchant...Dominique [who is a man] de Villepin, Franceâs foreign minister, defended his countryâs honour... Yes, so many philosophical questions need to be answered ...yesterday from charges that its behaviour over Iraq has been motivated by money and cowardice. Non! Abseulement non! Eet wuz monaiii, cowardeece, et... un geuwd dause ov populeest antee-Americaineeeszum! In a rare meeting with British and American journalists, he spoke angrily of the misrepresentation of French motives and the unfair portrayal of France by foreign politicians and the press. "I hear people talking about France having ulterior motives to get oil contracts in Iraq," he said. "It is absurd." He also rejected the "caricature of France as a pacifist country which refuses to assume its responsibilities". What responsibilities? We canât even look after Numero Un! M de Villepinâs fighting words served as a prelude to the meeting this weekend of Security Council foreign ministers in Geneva. France is still unhappy with Americaâs proposed resolution to expand international involvement in Iraq. M de Villepin said he wanted the resolutionâs emphasis changed from dealing with violence to rebuilding the country. His remarks came as many, both inside and outside France, wonder how long President Jacques Chirac and M de Villepin will keep up their diplomatic battle with America. As long as itâs popular, presumably. French businessmen especially have been agitating for France to make up with America. Judging by M de Villepinâs performance yesterday it will be some time yet. Asked if he regretted the short-term political impact of Franceâs position on Iraq, M de Villepin, a published poet and historian of Napoleon, let rip with: "In the life of men, as in the life of nations, there are difficult moments. In France, we need courage and sang-froid If you really do find some courage an level headedness, weâll let you apologise if you ask nicely. To those who questioned Franceâs motives in resisting first war in Iraq and now Americaâs handling of the country, he said neither he, M Chirac nor any other French official had any concern beyond the "principle of responsibility". Well that clears it up then. He added: "Thereâs no problem with Franco-American relations because we are dealing with issues much bigger than that. We must learn how two allies, two friendly countries can find solutions for the world. It is not by navel-gazing that we find solutions." I wouldnât bother looking for this Frenchmanâs guts either. He said France was in a stronger position now than at the time of the first resolution on Iraq, because it had remained firm and had threatened to use its veto. Respec to you Dom. You da man. "Abstention would have been washing our hands," he said. "Itâs never a brave act and we were never likely to do it." Heh. The French donât wash. He said it, not me. He hoped that Franceâs arguments would now be examined by America with "more clarity and less passion". Supply it and find out. He tried to resist the kind of gloating so evident in the French press about American and British problems in Iraq but he noted: "Iraq was not a terrorist country before the war." That war had brought "various divisions" and "created favourable conditions for instability and terrorism". Are we here to discuss French domestic and foreign policy? Posted by: Bulldog 2003-09-12 |
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