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| Europe |
| Politicus: Chirac rolls out design for U.S.-European ties |
| 2004-12-14 |
| Politicus: Chirac rolls out design for U.S.-European ties I'll bet he has a design. And we're in one little corner but paying the bills. Via Lucianne: In the American mind-set, there's nearly a lifetime to go - think Super Bowl and, maybe, Iraq's elections in the meanwhile - before George W. Bush comes to Europe in late February to make things trans-Atlantically whole and wonderful again. But European markers are coming down already. In London, the talk in Downing Street runs in the direction of Bush "doing something (!) substantive about the Israeli-Palestinian situation" if he wants to make good on the reaching-out-to-Europe notions that the administration uses to describe his trip. In Berlin, the Germans clearly want better relations, but have made sealing the "fissures" and "breaches" more complicated by clamoring to sell arms to China and insisting last week that they require a permanent UN Security Council seat with veto power, like the big fellas. This, although a UN panel on reforming the Council does not recommend a German veto, and the Bush administration would likely choke on the idea. The French, theoretically the ally with the furthest to go in improving ties with Bush administration, (Colin Powell describes the White House as specifically hoping to "mend" the relationship) have smartly laid out through a speech by Jacques Chirac a blueprint of where they want to be positioned in terms of the United States. The speech was made last month and has gotten only marginal attention. This is curious in the view of an aide to a European prime minister because he considers that Chirac was trying to explain for the first time how his multipolar view of the view of the world can be compatible with good relations between the United States and Europe. |
| Posted by:anonymous2U |
| #25 Chirac rolls out design for U.S.-European ties link |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-14 12:50:38 PM |
| #24 Chirac rolls out design for U.S.-European ties link |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-14 12:50:38 PM |
| #23 Snails, truffles, dioxin... you never know. Those frogs will serve almost anything with a wine or cream sauce. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-12-14 8:54:05 PM |
| #22 you can never tell what might end up in the soup. dioxin? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-12-14 8:39:13 PM |
| #21 RWV - that was my intent - ONLY one seat for all EU countries |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-14 8:17:10 PM |
| #20 Lex, that doesn't work geographically. How 'bout if Bush goes there last, but stays the longest, perhaps at the Polish version of The Ranch? And he probably shouldn't eat with Chiraq -- you can never tell what might end up in the soup. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-12-14 8:13:09 PM |
| #19 Agreed that Bush's first stop should be Poland. Preferably Krakow or some other historic place close to the Ukrainian border. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-14 5:44:15 PM |
| #18 Frank G, the only way that the EU should have a seat on the security council is if they admit Russia. Then we could sit back and watch France, the UK, Russia and the wannabe Germany argue about who, how, why, and what to do. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-12-14 5:31:28 PM |
| #17 Bush should be visiting the more important European countries: Italy, Poland, Hungary, (depending on what happens in the elections - Ukraine), and the UK. Don't waste time on hostile states like France, Germany, and Spain. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-12-14 5:27:32 PM |
| #16 I suugest a pair of US-made handcuffs in the wrists of Chirac. That would be a strong US-European tie. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-12-14 3:24:23 PM |
| #15 lol 2b! |
| Posted by: half 2004-12-14 2:04:58 PM |
| #14 This is a common meme (our having to ask for forgiveness) among the talking head lefties. No, France owes us for our not meddling at UN re its ICoast adventure. France owes us for our not kicking it in the nuts for its meddling in Iraq when it said there should be a peace conference with all legit Iraqi groups represented. Of course, at the top of the legit group is Sadr and the beheaders. France owes us for its role in UNSCAM. MSM has to protect it, of course. On top of that, remember French officialdom/intellectuals/media all (well, how about 90%?) fervently believe the US needs to be cut down to size and punished over successes in Afghanistan and Iraq since we didn't ask nicely first. Get it folks? Been that way since De Gaulle withdrew France from Nato (a huge pain) which also meant a move to Brussels for new Nato HQ (a manageable pain) W, where the relationship works, fine. Where it doesn't, tell 'em to go eat escargot. |
| Posted by: chicago mike 2004-12-14 2:04:25 PM |
| #13 Chirac's desperate. A joke at home, ignored abroad, and quite possibly soon to be implicated in OFF as his pal Maugein's kickbacks become clear. Nothing to see here, move along please |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-14 1:23:46 PM |
| #12 2b - you're on a roll, heh. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-12-14 1:05:01 PM |
| #11 Chirac rolls out design for U.S.-European ties link |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-14 12:53:56 PM |
| #10 Well, maybe we can start with pulling the troops out of Germany..... I'm sure France will be willing to defend them with their "multipolar" view of the world. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2004-12-14 12:30:32 PM |
| #9 Chirac rolls out design for U.S.-European ties link |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-12-14 11:53:02 AM |
| #8 Wake me when there's talk in France and Germany on what they can do to make up to the US. |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-12-14 9:12:36 AM |
| #7 Robert, As a second thought, may I suggest American financing of the "Arafat Mausoleum" that will be built on the ruins of the "Tour D'Eiffel" in Paris. The Mausoleum will also include a "University of international terror" , the "Institute for comparative Dhimmitude studies", and "L'Ecolle De Assassin". |
| Posted by: Elder of Zion 2004-12-14 9:06:59 AM |
| #6 Perhaps Mr. Chirac would do better if he consulted with his European and U.S. allies before "rolling out" anything -- especially a design for European-U.S. ties. Right now he has all the credibility of a marriage counselor going through a bitter divorce. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-12-14 9:05:41 AM |
| #5 In London, the talk in Downing Street runs in the direction of Bush "doing something (!) substantive about the Israeli-Palestinian situation" if he wants to make good on the reaching-out-to-Europe notions that the administration uses to describe his trip. I imagine that cluster-bombing terrorist camps in the PA would not go over well with the Europeans. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-12-14 8:52:02 AM |
| #4 In London, the talk in Downing Street runs in the direction of Bush "doing something (!) substantive about the Israeli-Palestinian situation" if he wants to make good on the reaching-out-to-Europe notions that the administration uses to describe his trip As usual, the Brits try to impress their Euro-colleagues and the Whining arabs by trying to have the US impose impossible things on Israel. The self serving bastard Blair is trying to make a scapegoat out of the only true democracy in the ME. It's high time the British internalize the fact that their age-old method of divide and conquer and the old colonial style of meddling in the internal afairs of other countries, will not work here. Dubia is too smart to swallow the "European Hook" While he owes a lot to Blair for unfailingly standing by his side in the WOT, Dubia realizes that kow-towing to the Arabs will earn him nothing but disdain and back-stabbing from the Arabs(like he got from the islamoid government of Turkey at a time of dire need). Neverthless, I expect some token speeches and small gestures (mainly verbal) about US-EU unity and friendship... Blah, Blah, Blah, just enough to keep the appearance of harmony. |
| Posted by: Elder of Zion 2004-12-14 8:43:44 AM |
| #3 EU = one seat on security council |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-14 8:23:16 AM |
| #2 "Talk to the hand." |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-12-14 8:10:58 AM |
| #1 "A traveler from Europe was recently asked in Washington how the Bush administration might best make a gesture toward Europe for delivery before March." I know exactly the gesture I'd use. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-12-14 6:14:11 AM |