French President Jacques Chirac said Tuesday his country is "entirely committed" to taking part in an international conference on Iraq next month.
Chirac called on foreign ministers to work out the details and participants for the conference, which Iraqi leaders have recommended and U.S. officials support. "France is entirely committed to participating," he told reporters during a brief stop in Hong Kong. He said the conference "was proposed by France and Russia together a year or year and a half ago." | Which means they were planning the confab right about the time we were pulling down Sammy's statue. Hopefully they have the menu finished and the linens all picked out. |
Egypt plans to host the conference in late November, and participants are to include Iraq, its neighbors, plus China, the European Union, the United Nations, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. | I can't wait to see duly elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai stride into the room and look the members of the dictators' club right in the eye. |
France was one of the leading opponents of the Iraq war and has refused to send forces into the country after the ouster of Saddam Hussein. In Paris, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said France had not yet received an invitation for the conference.
"You have the invitation, Marvin?"
"Right here, Mr. Secretary."
"Nice work. Put it in a safe place." |
| Oh, we sent out the invitationas, all right. But the French postal service was prolly on strike. |
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