Article

2005-03-27 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2005-03-27 00:00:00|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "and then," the Western diplomat continued, "The French will turn around and sell the Americans down the river."

Posted by Jonathan 2005-03-27 12:05:27 AM|| [http://www.emessell.typepad.com/muddling] 2005-03-27 12:05:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Not so sure about that, Jonathan. Like all rational international players, the French will side with us when our interests coincide. Getting Syria out of Lebanon is such a case. No need to trust the bastards in general because of this exceptional case, of course.

Posted by kcspence 2005-03-27 3:38:06 AM|| 2005-03-27 3:38:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 This time around, how about WE sell the Phrench down the river afterwards?

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-03-27 4:46:23 AM|| 2005-03-27 4:46:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 We have some friends in the French military, FWIW. Always good to keep those friendships alive even while we find ways to hamstring Chiraq.

Posted by too true 2005-03-27 9:57:27 AM|| 2005-03-27 9:57:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 kcspence: You think the Phrench are "rational international players"?

I want some of what you've been smoking. ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2005-03-27 10:46:51 AM|| 2005-03-27 10:46:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 "...strategy called for support of opposition groups..." I HATE this catch phrase. It a useless thing, an impotent tactic, like having a group discussion. There are a thousand things the US, oh yeah, and France, can do to destabilize the regime. And most of them are nasty, mean, brutal, and effective. Which is why they use the euphamism. They can't come out and say "First of all, we're going to give Assad's mistress a severe case of the clap, and then we're going to car bomb them back times 10 for the Harari assassination, and then we're going to crush them economically by ripping off their private Swiss bank accounts, and then start causing some blood feuds between tribes, etc."

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-03-27 10:48:52 AM|| 2005-03-27 10:48:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Barb the French have their own set of (unrealistic) goals, within that framework they're rational.

Posted by Shipman 2005-03-27 12:02:43 PM|| 2005-03-27 12:02:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Hell, Shipman, within L'il Kimmie's framework, he's rational too.

Every nation acts in its own interests - that's normal. The pathetic thing about the Phrench is they'll act against their own long-term interests if they think that, in the short term, they can screw us, and the Brits, and just about everybody else.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2005-03-27 1:59:30 PM|| 2005-03-27 1:59:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 According to another well known source,"the MEnewsline reporter learned his journalistic techniques by reading the New York Times."

Posted by GK 2005-03-27 2:43:13 PM|| 2005-03-27 2:43:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Barb.
Hmmmmm.... Yep. Okay, you're up 5 peanuts.

Posted by Shipman 2005-03-27 3:34:40 PM|| 2005-03-27 3:34:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 The French have been acting against their long-term interests for at least half a milennium. They sided with the Turks at Lepanto and during the seige of Vienna. Historically, this is normal behavior for them. One could say that the one period they acted in accord with their long-term interests -- when they and England were allied in the first half of the 20th century -- was when they got really pounded.

The French are weasels. Always have been. Always will be. Its part of their national character. English humorists and cartoonists have lampooned the French for their spinelessness since at least the 1700's. I have no doubt at all that when the Islamists finally get out of control there, the French will turn to Le Pen or one of his successors to "fix" the problem. Then after one generation of hanging their heads in shame, they will return to being the triangulating, unprincipled, hypocritical, whining Phwench that we all know and love.

Posted by 11A5S 2005-03-27 4:23:59 PM|| 2005-03-27 4:23:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 American fun! Destabilizing Syria and frog gigging!
http://www.dartreview.com/archives/2001/11/12/the_joys_of_frog_gigging.php

Posted by Tom 2005-03-27 5:03:39 PM|| 2005-03-27 5:03:39 PM|| Front Page Top

17:57 CrazyFool
17:57 CrazyFool
23:54 gromky
23:47 Alaska Paul
23:45 Alaska Paul
23:43 gromky
23:30 Atomic Conspiracy
23:25 BH
23:07 Mrs. Davis
23:02 Barbara Skolaut
23:01 gromky
22:58 Doc8404
22:57 gromky
22:33 Bomb-a-rama
22:27 Bomb-a-rama
22:19 Tom
22:16 Anonymous Coward
22:02 Tom
21:57 SR-71
21:53 SR-71
21:24 Bomb-a-rama
21:19 RWV
21:14 jackal
21:10 jackal