U.S. Looks to France on U.N. Role in Iraq

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040409/ap_on_re_eu/france_iraq&cid=518&ncid=1480


"I can confirm that France was approached by the American authorities on the question of protecting the United Nations (news - web sites) in Iraq," Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said.

"However, the question of a possible U.N. re-involvement in Iraq depends on a number of questions that are far from being resolved," Ladsous said.

The United Nations withdrew its foreign employees from Iraq in August after a deadly bomb attack on its Baghdad headquarters.

U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, currently in Iraq, is due to report to Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) on a possible role for the U.N. in Iraq, and France is "waiting to find out what he says," Ladsous said.

[goclark]

Hope UN stays out of Iraq

LKet chimpco beg and beg for help!

They were so nasty to the UN.

[Flagg]

1. no thanx guys

you're on your own on this one

[BonjourUSA]

6. We want or not, we are now into the same galley

[SCDem]

2. Why would France want to help in a situation like we are in now

George Bush and the Repuclican Pary gave them the big ol' American middle finger out of f*ckin ignorance a year ago.

[cal04]

14. France

didn't France just help get Aristede out of Haiti?
I'm not surprised

Interesting how Iraq was a U.S.-British led force. This is a U.S.-French led operation. In fact, didn't Aristide say he holds the French Ambassador to Haiti as well responsible for his kidnapping and wants to bring charges?

KIM IVES: Yes. The French were involved in all this pressure and, in fact, were in some ways leading the charge. And I think he also explained to us how he arrived in the Central African Republic was, a call -- the official version is that the plane was in the air and nobody wanted him and they were looking for some place and the Central African Republic was the only place.

AMY GOODMAN: Voyage of the damned?

KIM IVES: Right. The reality was that some arrangements were made through Gabon, and President Bongo of Gabon, which is the leader of the Central African States - thats sort of the dean of those states. And so Bongo called the Central African Republic and said, essentially, listen, you're going to take Aristide. This is what the Foreign Minister explained to us. So, this was done through the U.S., France, Gabon talking. No Haitian officials were involved. Nobody from Haiti was involved. This was a purely U.S.- French Operation.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And, of course, France probably more than the United States had more to lose from Aristide continuing in the presidency since he was beginning to lay claim to reparations from France for the period of colonialism and slavery.

KIM IVES: This is precisely it. You had the restitution for $21.7 billion, which was on the table, and we saw a lot of rivalries were put aside to get Aristide out -- between the ruling groups in Haiti or the comprador bourgeoisie and the big land owners, who generally are constantly squabbling throughout Haitian history for power, They put aside their differences to get togethe, which we see from Andy Aphead representing the bourgeoisie and Guy Philippe and Jodel Chamblain, And, we saw the France and the U.S. who have also been sort of vying, pushing aside their differences. So you saw this union, unity, come between rivals against Aristide because he represented the people and because he was a representative of the popular will in Haiti.

AMY GOODMAN: How do you account for the thousands of people who came out -- the news reports were in support of the ouster of Aristide, calling for him to be returned so he could be tried?

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/11/1538244&mode=thread&tid=25

[markses]

3. C'est la vie, Monsieur Boosh...

They hate us for our freedom fries. :crazy:

[ixion]

4. two words: Freedom Fries

I think that pretty much covers it.

[sniffa]

5. but if they don't heLp

americans wiLL hate the french, and the french Looking, and french canadians. some may even pour out their french wine. others may take the asinine step of renaming everything with the word "french" in it.

[underpants]

7. Oh will you please please please please save our political a**es

Pretty please with a cherry on top!!!!!!!!!!

[Capt_Nemo]

8. "a number of questions that are far from being resolved"

translation:
"and mind you, what do we (and our old european friends) get in return for getting ourselves into that mess of your making?
Better come up with a mighty good proposal.."

[PATRICK]

9. France and Russia

stand to gain a bigger piece of the pie than any unreliable deal Bush could contemplate and much more in their national regional interests.

Still sounds like arrogance from the WH and unashamed flipflopping. They simply can't understand why one of the pragmatic right like Chirac won't cave and cut a deal before American might and will. This is so politically blind and naive I hope it applies also to their view on American elections.

[JPace]

10. The world is not anxious to intervene with

the downfall of the U.S. in Iraq. AWOL and his regime
humiliated and bullied the world, now they are going
to find some satisfaction in watching us become weaker
and fail.

It's that old "I told you so" and they are not going
to help AWOL.

[Just Me]

11. After we rebuked and demonized them?

If I had been treated in such a way, I know what my response would be: it is YOUR mess,...YOU clean it up.

[RedEarth]

12. Lol......please, please, please...help us

This is great...George begging France and the UN for help......unbelievable

[goforit]

13. LOL!!!..I guess we be calling those freedom fries FRENCH fries again

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

[MoonRiver]

15. When Pukes start serving french fries in the Capitol cafeteria again,

we'll know jr. is on his knees servicing Chirac, to save AWOL's sorry arse reputation in Iraq. }(

[qb]

16. Looking to Old Europe (France) to defend the irrelevant (U.N.)?

Why on Earth would the U.S. need that?

[0007]

17. The next thing 'ya know they'll want the Dixie Chicks playing USO clubs

in Iraq



[legin]

18. Not until the neo-cons have been arrested

and that is just one requirement.

You don't beat people like Daniel Pipes, they just regard it as a temporary setback. There is no reason for the UN to step in and sort out 'this' mess when you leave the same arseholes in place to cause the next one in 2 to 3 years time, which is what they will do.

Arresting the neo-cons would be a nice statement of intent to the world too, a sort of official turning over of a new leaf.

[legin]

19. To the u.s. military high command

You are in the shit up to your ears.

This is what 100% idealogical politicians do for you. They are a completely different species. And they don't quit ever. (I've been there, admitedly on a very tiny scale).

Whilst you are picking up the tab for this one, they have already moved on to setting up the next one for you.

[NashVegas]

20. De Villepin

I wonder if this could have anything to do with his recent shuffling to interior issues.

I can see where the BFEE would have slightly less crow to eat where the new guy is concerned.

[ConcernedCanuk]

21. Heck, - Junior also called Putin for help.

.
.
.

Bush has 'serious concerns' for Iraq
From correspondents in Moscow
April 9, 2004

US President George W. Bush and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed "serious concern" in a phone conversation Thursday about the escalating violence in Iraq, as well as Kosovo and Afghanistan, the Kremlin said.

Bush telephoned Putin as the two leaders discussed relations amid NATO's recent expansion into seven former Soviet satellites, and renewed Russian statements that it had warned the United States that the war in Iraq was a mistake.

The Kremlin statement said Bush and Putin "expressed serious concern about the absence of progress in resolving regional problems and the escalation of violence."

It said Putin then expressed "his strongest resolve" to try and resolve the conflicts through the United Nations.



Isn't Putin sort of suggesting that the US either get out or or let the United nations be in charge?

Dubya won't go for that methinks.

Trouble, . . more trouble.

(sigh)