How Iraq Confrontation Divided Western Alliance- France and Germany Strive To Check American Might

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ^ | March 27, 2003 | MARC CHAMPION, CHARLES FLEMING, IAN JOHNSON and CARLA ANNE ROBBINS

[pittsburgh gop guy]

Early on Jan. 22, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sat down for 20 minutes with Jacques Chirac in the French president's gilded office overlooking the gardens of the Elys

[pittsburgh gop guy]

Great article detailing how France & Germany suck. ANd how they are envious of the U.S.'s hegemony in the world today.

[XJarhead]

That really is a great article. It's purely factual, without much bias at all. A nice bit of journalism.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

There's no question ENVY is at the center of it. The US works harder, produces more and is more free than either of these socialist states and they just can't stand it.

[hchutch]

A note on the Axis of Weasels. Michael Ledeen's earlier National Review piece seems to be on target. There is an effort by the Axis of Weasels to turn the EU into a counterweight. The best counter-move to this effort by France and Germany, IMHO, is to align with Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin and the rest of New Europe, and work to ensure regime change occurs in Germany, thereby isolating the French.

[Cicero]

I tend to disagree. This article is factual, but it is shot through with negativity. I would guess it is the work of the left-wingers on the WSJ news staff, rather than the more conservative editorial page staff.

Pretty typical is the implication that the US made a bad mistake in not accepting the offer of NATO help. But, as the article itself admits, that turned out to be a French Trojan horse. NATO would have been--and proved to be--no more use than the UN, because the French intended from the beginning to veto any initiatives that might be taken.

Although the article doesn't use the infamous word "unilateral," it does strongly imply that the US screwed up and isolated itself. That simply isn't true. We made every diplomatic effort to bring about a consensus. Other than the central axis of Germany, France, and Belgium, and the mischief-makers in Russia and China, and the rogue states, most of the world is on our side. Muslims are not very happy, but that can't be helped, obviously.

The article says, "By the end of that day, the West was headed for a diplomatic train wreck on a scale not seen since World War II." That statement is accurate. And the perpetrator of the disaster was Jacque Chirac, although the writers do their very best to obscure that central fact.

[schaketo]

Here's what I sent puddin-head last Saturday via USPS. Sent it via mail using 3 U.S. Flag stamps. Bastards!

French President Jacques Chirac
Monsieur Le President de la Republique
Palais de l'Elysee
55, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore
75008 Paris
FRANCE

Dear President Chirac,

Just a quick note to ensure you understand millions of Americans will never forget you and your country’s cowardice.

We have somewhat considered you an ally and a friend. That perception has recently shifted for all times. And trust me, it is permanent.

I and millions of other Americans are now encouraging our elected officials, President Bush’s administration and business leaders to change their thinking about France. You will see in the future a new punitive approach towards our relationship with your country.

Don’t expect a public announcement regarding this shift. But it will happen.

With friends like France who needs enemies. We are quickly discovering who our real friends are. It is not you or your country. I imagine a few years down the road there will be hell to pay for your position in the history books and your political party’s future.

We’re tired of your slander and your weak knees. Thanks for all your help in the United Nations.

Yours truly,

[hchutch]

Can you give this a mega-ping?

[longtermmemmory]

BUMP THIS ARTICLE, WOW! this is very well written and puts the diplomatic war in perspective.

This is a must read for everyone following the war because it defines the post war landscape of the Diplomatic War after the peace.

[JohnHuang2]

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

I think the root of Schroeder's actions can be traced back to last November when he prevailed in the lawsuit about whether or not he dyes his hair. Flush with confidence from that hard fought victory, he set a course for even more inane nonsense and frivolity.

Dye Another Day

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I just started reading a new book by the title "Crush Depth". It is set about 10 years from now. According to the prologue, a military coup occurs in Germany and a Hohenzollern descendant is placed upon a restored throne as a figurehead (while the country is run by an aggressive military), and it links up withh an extremist Boer group which violently seizes control of South Africa. The new allince quickly makes its intention of world domination know.

Before any shots are even fired, France surrenders.

I was laughing so hard that I couldn't read much past that, and almost didn't want to - because it was such a perfect moment. I really hope the rest of it doesn't suck.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

The new allince quickly makes its intention of world domination know=The new alliance quickly makes its intention of world domination known.

I really should proofread for typos before posting.

[tictoc]

Yeah, its' Wolfowitz's fault because he ignored Euro offers of aid.

It's Rumsfeld's fault for dissing Old Europe.

It's Bush's fault for being a Texas yokel who has no powers of persuasion.

Suure.

If anyone believes that, take a look at how Chirac and Schroeder and their assorted continental minions are treating Tony Blair, a gifted public speaker in a long line of eloquent British prime ministers, a man with a lifelong commitment towards closer integration of the UK into Europe, committed to ditching the pound, abasing himself for the purpose of bridging the trans-Atlantic gap.

How do they treat Mr. Blair, who tired himself out in his effort to explain the new world reality to the world and especially Europe?

For his efforts, Chirac and Schroeder treated him lower than the dirt on their shoes.

So, it really doesn't matter what missteps the U.S. administration may have made. The outcome would have been the same regardless.

[Poohbah]

Actually, it's the third book in the series. And yes, it does suck. Big time. Very early on, the Germans do something that would have resulted in a US strategic laydown on Germany.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

I don't read the article as being critical of the U.S. or wolfy:

"The issue of whether the West would attack terrorism under NATO's flag was largely symbolic. The U.S. in any case would have provided most of the manpower and money. But France, Germany and other European countries felt spurned and bewildered by Washington's refusal to take them up on their offer.

Mr. Wolfowitz says any officials who felt that way misread his position. At the time, he adds, the U.S. "didn't have any notion what kind of military forces we needed" for a possible war in Afghanistan, "nor any notion that NATO as an alliance was prepared to commit to something as ambitious as Afghanistan." Mr. Wolfowitz also says that last December, he presented to NATO a detailed proposal for how it could help with a possible war against Iraq. "But what we feared in September '01 is precisely what happened: The French blocked collective action."

Once again: The French blocked collective action

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

Sometimes that genre can turn bad on you, but sometimes, you can get pleasantly surprised.

The Heritage Trilogy is good - it has a US vs UN war set 40 years from now in the first two books (the third book is set 60 years off). It features Marines on Mars, Marines on the Moon, finds of alien technology, and the mendacity of a French dominated UN.

[madison46]

BIG HUGE BUMP

[longtermmemmory]

What is REALY funny? France and Germany do not even have the largly symbolic rotaiting EU presidency. That is currently held by Greece. Greece is worried about the 2004 olympic games and has been largly fence sitting the diplomatic war. (they have quietly given overflight and staging rights to the US military) The point is that the lead voice of the EU has been drowned out by French self interest.

France really views the other european nations as France's stable of b**ches.

[Poohbah]

Yes, I really liked the Heritage trilogy.

For mindless crap, I recommend Matt Reilly's novels. Ice Station and Area 7 star a Marine Force Recon unit. It's BS all the way through--no women in Farce Recon, and they don't have that kind of equipment--but they have loads of action, conspiracies galore, and , and Reilly (an Australian) captures the Marine Corps ethos--improvise, adapt, and overcome--better than anyone else.

[Poohbah]

How far did you get on Crush Depth?