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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
France: Airstrike halt not enough
2006-07-31
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin who is a man welcomed on Monday Israel's pledge to suspend air strikes in neighbouring Lebanon for 48 hours, but said it was not enough.

"It is, for France, a first step, but an insufficient step given the current stakes," he told reporters at Mantes-la-Jolie, a suburb west of Paris, at his regular monthly press conference. "We must all together redouble our efforts to achieve the immediate cessation of hostilities requested by the president," de Villepin added.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy is due to hold meetings with Lebanese government officials in Beirut on Monday.
Posted by:ryuge

#18  To De Villepin: FOAD.

To RB'ers; As you all know, the enemy in France is not 'the French', it is the 'French elite'. 'The French' can be (and are often) annoying, but are most certainly not of a mind with their ruling class.

Just saying.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike   2006-07-31 20:13  

#17  Puts in mind the ceasefire Hitler invoked with France while it shifted its military from Poland to France.

Some things just never change
Posted by: Captain America   2006-07-31 19:35  

#16  "CAW! CAW!" cries the Crow.
Posted by: mojo   2006-07-31 14:17  

#15  SOP, Israel need not be destroyed for France to fall. The Islamifacation of europe will have little to do with Israel. My guess is France is the #1 western European targeted nation by Islamic radicals. Villepin is such an idiot, but then the French have a wonderful history of political suiside.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2006-07-31 12:03  

#14  What a truly simplistic and pitiful bastard. If...and I am quite certain it will never happen...Israel were to be destroyed who do the French think would be the very next target for destruction ?
Posted by: SOP35/Rat   2006-07-31 11:50  

#13  I'm really looking forward to the French led Multi-National Force that is going to separate the Israelis from the Hezb. I wonder how soon Hezb's fuel problem will translate to short flight rockets.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-07-31 10:48  

#12  Bravely the French ran away!
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-07-31 10:42  

#11  Who really cares what France has to say? Certainly not Israel, we let France rant in our press, but at the end of the day no one really cares. Britton will always be with us, despite their BBC and our CNNÂ’s best efforts. Israel cares about Israel and the preservation of their state, nothing more and as it should be. If Israel is halting their attack for 48 hours they are doing it for tactical reasons, not political ones, no matter what they say in the press.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2006-07-31 08:24  

#10  france is like malaysia. why do they always have their little say in everything but no one gives a damn what they think nor did they ask!
Posted by: honkey   2006-07-31 08:18  

#9  I bought a french rifle a few years back. The previous owner said it had only been thrown down to the ground once.
Posted by: GORT   2006-07-31 08:12  

#8  "We must all together redouble our efforts to achieve the immediate cessation of hostilities requested by the president," de Villepin added.

Heh, you can't even get him the bisexual pony he wants so badly.
Posted by: Flaising Gluter6248   2006-07-31 08:09  

#7  They want Israel to surrender. How French...
Posted by: Raj   2006-07-31 08:04  

#6  I guess shooting into an unarmed crowd is OK if you're French, but defending yourself against an armed militia is a no-no for the Jooooos
Posted by: Frank G   2006-07-31 08:03  

#5  you will have to make sure the traitorous BBC is gone before you can count on the UK.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2006-07-31 07:58  

#4  Old Europe looses its kahoonas at the sight of war. How many friendly fire casualties have occurred in Afghanistan and Iraq? Hell, this is war and as Sherman said "War is Hell." Politicians need to quit pissing their pants and get on with WWIII. The Islamofacists already view it as occurring.
Posted by: JohnQC   2006-07-31 07:36  

#3  Agreedf. My only reservation is that it be done in a way that keeps Britain with us, though I am not at all certain even that can be done.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-07-31 07:29  

#2  Yep.

Hezb'Allah needs to stop hiding in civilian areas thus being responsible for these deaths.

Also Hezb'Allah needs to stop the war-crime of firing targetting civilians vby firing missiles into Israel.

Also Hezb'Allah needs to disarm and disband.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2006-07-31 07:23  

#1  Face it. For the French and most of the goverment elites of Europe only the destruction of Israel and the killing of all jews will ever be enough.

Time to cut our losses and write EUrope off and redeploy our remaining forces in EUrope else where.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2006-07-31 07:22  

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