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De Villepin: no new battle fronts | |
2003-04-14 | |
Foreign minister says time not right to apply pressure on Syria The right time would've been years ago, but we're remedying that unfortunate delay. Visiting French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Sunday that the international community should concentrate on rebuilding Iraq rather than âopening new battle fronts.â Speaking to reporters at Beirut International Airport after meeting with Lebanese leaders, de Villepin said the time was inappropriate for Washington to apply pressure on Syria. âPlease! You canât find out anything else weâve done! It will discredit us in the international world!â When asked on Franceâs position toward Washingtonâs accusations against Damascus, he called for âconsultation and dialogueâ to resolve the current conflict in Iraq, rather than escalating pressure. âThe time is for consultation, for dialogue and we should be consolidating our energies to try and find solutions because we have enough problems,â he said. ⊠Like the French. âTo find a solution, we need to have concerted action,â he said, calling for âdialogue between all the countries of the region and with the international community, Europe and the United States.â He added that after the collapse of Iraqi regime, âthe Middle East does not need a new war. We have to concentrate on giving the Iraqi people the victory they deserve.â He also focused on the need to restore security in Iraq and establish a representative Iraqi government. Weâre already working on it, twit. In recent weeks, Syria has been subjected to verbal attacks from members of the US administration. It has repeatedly been accused of aiding Iraq and of providing military and logistical help to Baghdad. âDemocracy cannot be imposed, it needs to be created in a climate of respect,â Franceâs top diplomat said. He stressed that âinternational law is capable of finding a solution to guarantee Iraqâs future and it is illogical that the UNâs role be limited to humanitarian aspects, since we cannot dissociate them from military and political aspects.â Yeah â the UN did SO well finding a solution to Saddam. *snort* During his 24-hour visit to Beirut, de Villepin met with President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri before heading for Riyadh, the last stop in his Mideast tour. De Villepin also visited Cairo and Damascus. Before his departure, he held a joint conference at Beirut airport with his Lebanese counterpart, Mahmoud Hammoud. Aw, COME ON! That name HAS to have been made up! Asked about his position on the Syrian presence in Lebanon, he said that âFrance is keen on seeing the fulfilment of the Taif Accords,â which ended the Lebanese civil war and called for a phased pull out of Syrian troops. Hammoud reiterated the official stance, that Syriaâs presence here is legitimate and had the full endorsement of the local authorities. Earlier in Baabda Palace, Lahoud warned that the escalation of violence in Iraq and in the Occupied Territories will increase terrorism. He also called on the European Union and the United Nations to step in before it becomes too late. Lahoud also lauded French President Jacques Chiracâs anti-war position and his keenness on seeing the UN take over in Iraq. He reaffirmed that any possible solution to the Iraqi conflict had to come through the
Yes⊠their previous cease-fires went smashingly. He also called for steps to shoulder the development of the Palestinian state and the holding an international assembly to declare a Palestinian state. Discussing the peace plan and Iraq is high on de Villepinâs agenda during his tour. De Villepin said the French and Lebanese positions on the Iraqi conflict were in agreement, with both calling for a UN sponsored solution. âWeâll veto if you want to go to war, weâll veto if you want the UN to do anything after the war, we want a UN resolution ⊠BLAH BLAH BLAHH BLAH.. â De Villepin also briefed Lahoud on the Saint Petersburg summit between French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and on the preparations for an upcoming European summit in Greece next week. In Ain al-Mreisseh, the speaker said Washingtonâs repeated threats to Damascus in recent weeks did not concern its help to Iraq, but were rather aimed at âdeterring any objection movement to what is to come regarding the Palestinian cause.â Showing his astute understanding of absolutely nothing, again. Gotta find something to take care of that De Villepin. | |
Posted by:Tadderly |
#9 My aren't |
Posted by: elbud 2003-04-14 20:28:47 |
#8 From Best Of The Web today: Meanwhile, France's Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin was in Damascus over the weekend, meeting with the Syrian FM, Farouk al-Sharaa. CNN reports on a hilarious exchange between the two: Talking about the Bush administration's military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, Sharaa questioned the United States' motive. "Look at all these things: Is Afghanistan stable? Have their objectives been achieved? Have they found Osama bin Laden?" he asked, before mentioning the "looting and lawlessness" that followed the fall of Saddam's regime. "They've left a mess in both these countries and they're not finished. Now turning their attention to a third country," he said. "Historians talk about the Second World War and how the Germans should have been stopped earlier." Then, just before Sharaa was about to compare the Bush administration to Nazi Germany, France's de Villepin stopped him. "You do not want to make this comparison," de Villepin said. "Don't do this." |
Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-14 18:19:16 |
#7 According to Devil Pin and his boss ChIraq, there is no "right time" for Uncle Sam to be anythying but a patsy for the UN, EU, and AW. |
Posted by: KP 2003-04-14 17:14:21 |
#6 Foreign minister says time not right to apply pressure on Syria For the French, NO time is ever right. |
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-04-14 16:05:06 |
#5 Frogger couldn't be any more wrong about the timing of US pressure on Syria. We have 300k motivated, battle-tested troops next door. We know a bunch of leading Iratqis are scurrying their way. It's likely that Syria is babysitting Iraqi WMD and scientists. Plus we get Hezbollah off Israel's back in the bargain (and further put the screws to Iran). It's win, win, win, win to me. |
Posted by: Anonymous 2003-04-14 15:19:46 |
#4 In fake news today: Visiting French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Sunday that the international community should concentrate on rebuilding Iraq rather than âopening new battle fronts.â Speaking to reporters at Beirut International Airport after meeting with Lebanese leaders, de Villepin said the time was appropriate for Washington to apply pressure on Syria to take advantage of once-in-a-lifetime deals on undelivered orders of UN-disallowed munitions and other military equipment. Said de Villepin, "Well, we suspect that the United States would be more inclined to realize the good the UN can do as a body once our American allies get a taste of the sweet life that can also be had by pimping illegal weapons to terrorist states. I grant that it's no picnic to wake up every morning and realize that one has spent the night in a drunken haze with Germany, but that and supporting genocidal maniancs is a small price to pay for making enough money to buy all the brie one could ever want." de Villepin then vowed to make this year's Tour de France so difficult that Lance Armstrong could not possibly win. "We're just sick and tired of everybody being better at everything than we are." |
Posted by: FormerLiberal 2003-04-14 14:44:09 |
#3 Villepin needs a dose of Foghorn Leghorn: Go away, ah says go away son, ya bother me. |
Posted by: Jim 2003-04-14 14:21:45 |
#2 de Villepin: le bag du breeze....Call the Kyoto Global Warming cops on him. They signed the treaty. |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-04-14 14:15:56 |
#1 France wants us to back off on Syria - Ok let talk. How about we get something in return - like a UNSC resolution authorizing our position in Iraq (without conceding political control to UN) plus foregiveness of Iraqi debts??? Its good to be magnanimous after victory, but we still have alot to talk about with the French. Each day that reveals French/Russian illegal weapons sales to Iraq, more evidence of WMD,improvement of the situation on the ground in Iraq,etc makes the axis of weasels position weaker. So lets talk, but not be too quick to cut a deal with people whose negotiating position is crumbling. |
Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-14 13:42:27 |