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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Chirac proposes Iran compromise
2006-09-19
President Jacques Chirac proposed a compromise Monday to kickstart talks between Iran and the international community, suggesting the threat of U.N. sanctions be suspended in exchange for Tehran halting its uranium enrichment program. "I don't believe in a solution without dialogue," Chirac said in an interview with Europe-1 radio. He suggested the international community suspend the threat of U.N. sanctions and that Iran, in turn, suspend enrichment while the two sides talk. "I am not pessimistic," Chirac said. "I think that Iran is a great nation, an old culture, an old civilization, and that we can find solutions through dialogue."

Upbeat about the standoff with Iran over its nuclear program, Chirac said in the wide-ranging radio interview that he was pessimistic about the outcomes in Iraq and Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region. Chirac spoke before leaving for New York to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly, which opens Tuesday. Asked about Iran, the French president noted that "Iran for years developed a clandestine nuclear program." However, "I am never favorable to sanctions" and, should they be unavoidable, they should be "moderate and adapted," he said.
Not real long on substance, but I guess it plays well with the rubes. Someplace.
Posted by:Fred

#6  *slaps forehead*

Duh. This means the Iranians just wanted to stack the deck a little higher... and the check just cleared.
Posted by: flyover   2006-09-19 15:08  

#5  must really offend their sensibilities and sense of self-importance.

Nah, our Enlightened Elites are way too self-deluded to take notice. Besides, foreign policy is where the Grandeur is to be found, but real fun is at home (IE grab as much loot before the whole house of cards that is the Vth collapses).
Posted by: anonymous5089   2006-09-19 13:36  

#4  This is lame. They're trying to resurrect the dead so they can play their usual triangulation game. No one but the diplos will even notice.

The only thing I find surprising about this is how long it took them. It has been clear for months that Russia and China would scuttle sanctions. Heh, the French are off their normal game, it seems. They used to define triangulation, now they're mere footnotes to the event. To think the ham-handed Russians have made them irrelevant, preempting any notion of a last-second anti-US back-stabbing move, must really offend their sensibilities and sense of self-importance.
Posted by: flyover   2006-09-19 09:44  

#3  France, thy name is perfidy.

OT but related: France wasn't even the best of colonialists in that era of colonialism. The British was the most benevolent by comparision with the best. What a mean mess in IndoChina e.g.
Posted by: Duh!   2006-09-19 09:36  

#2  France has never been - and never will be - particularly good to the U.S.A. Since the late 1600's we have been seen as a colony of crude unrespectable people. The support we received during the Revoltionary War was not to support us, but to hose the English.
It does not matter how many times we save them from their own arrogance, they will never be our friend. At some point it would be nice to hear a U.S. President call a duck a duck.
Posted by: Mike N.   2006-09-19 09:10  

#1  While there is undoubtedly much going on of which we are unaware, this backing off from sanctions a couple of days before Bush is to deliver a speech to the UN presumably calling for sterner action on Iraq is another major and significant betrayal by France. Were it not for the reaction to the Pope's anti-Protestant speech, this would be getting much greater reaction in the press and here at the burg.

We need to recognize that France is becoming more deceitfully and actively hostile to American efforts to establiush global security. They are whorishly selling their veto to the highest bidder in order to tweak the nose of the Americans and reduce their power without regard for whose power is increased as a result. France is an enemy and should be booted from NATO. If that means the end of NATO, so be it. Its successor can be constituted from those members interested in and ready to contribute to true global collective security. But without doubt, France is in league with our enemies if only to be against us.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-09-19 08:14  

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