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| Europe |
| France Won’t Veto |
| 2003-03-04 |
| France has all but ruled out using its veto in the U.N. Security Council to block a U.S.-backed resolution paving the way for war on Iraq, a weekly newspaper reported in its Wednesday edition. Le Canard enchaine quoted President Jacques Chirac as telling a small private gathering on Feb. 26 that a veto would be pointless because it would not stop U.S. President George W. Bush from launching military action. "France is doing everything it can, but the problem is that it is impossible to stop Bush from pursuing his logic of war to the end," Chirac was quoted as saying by Le Canard, a satirical newspaper that is known to have well-informed sources. DANGER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! A satirical newspaper? Isn't this like getting your news from The Onion? Le Canard also quoted Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin as privately telling a group of conservative lawmakers on Feb. 25 that "using the right of veto would be shooting the Americans in the back." Unless he followed it up with, "Wouldn't that be GREAT?", I'm not buying it. A French diplomatic source said Tuesday France believes it has 10, perhaps 11, nations on its side — more than enough negative votes to block a second resolution. Well, this would explain why they weren't going to use the veto. But that's practically the whole SC. Last I heard many were still "thinking it over". |
| Posted by:Angie Schultz |
| #1 The Canard Enchainé is a satirical weekly indeed (with great cartoons). But it often reveals hard facts the French government better keeps covered. They have great sources. Whenever government or opposition politicians want to leak embarrassing facts (often to backstab someone) the Canard is the first to know. Its the first thing a French decision maker will do on Wednesday morning: read the Canard (which refuses to go online btw). You have to read the whole article. But I'd rather say the quotes mentioned here are not satirical. Of course the Canard can be wrong, too. But it has "killed" more French politicians than anyone else. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-03-04 16:32:32 |