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| Africa: North | |
| Libya accuses France of blackmail | |
| 2003-08-17 | |
Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel Raman Shalgham accused France on Friday of blackmail after Paris threatened to block an agreement on lifting UN sanctions unless more money was paid to the families of victims of the bombing of a French airliner in 1989. "France is using pressure and blackmail and we do not accept this," said Shalgham, adding that his government had made its position clear to French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.
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| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #3 Stephen: there are times I wonder if it was all a set-up, that France did it all at our request so that Saddam remained off balance to the last minute. Mind you there are very few times I wonder that. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-8-18 12:00:49 AM |
| #2 What was France thinking Like this story shows, it's aaall business to them. In Iraq they stood to lose as they inevitably would have to share or give way to the US & friends. Hence their opposition to the war. Don't be tricked into thinking it was for some moral, "we're against wars (even though throughout the 19th century all we did was start them)" reason. |
| Posted by: Raphael 2003-8-17 6:13:24 PM |
| #1 I can understand what appears to be Grand Plan of France in creating a new superpower.It would be led by France,powered by German industry,fueled by North Sea oil,manned by cheap immigrant labor,financed by as wide a taxpayer base as possible(hence rapid expansion of EU),and given muscle by Russian military. But,I have to call into question either competency of France's American analysts or judgement of French leadership.Why on earth did France continue to actively oppose US once Bush sent half of American military to Gulf?France had to know Bush woudn't let forces sit there forever;either Saddam left or it was war.So why did France keep vetoing at UN?She could have abstained while making fierce anti-US rants in press.Did France expect Bush to commit political suicide and back down?Did France seriously think a veto at UN would cause US to abandon any military-use policy if US thought its national security interests were at risk?What was France thinking-or was she? |
| Posted by: Stephen 2003-8-17 5:25:43 PM |