France Urges Expansion of U.N. Inspections in Iraq

Reuters ^ | February 5, 2003

[Indy Pendance]

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France's foreign minister called on the U.N. Security Council Wednesday to strengthen its inspection regime in Iraq and said military action against Baghdad should be only a final resort.

"Given the choice between military intervention and an inspections regime that is inadequate because of a failure to cooperate on Iraq's part, we must choose the decisive reinforcement of the means of inspections," Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said.

"This is today what France is proposing," he told the 15-nation council after hearing Secretary of State Colin Powell present evidence that Powell said proved the Iraqi military had conspired to conceal banned weapons from inspectors.

"Let us double, let us triple the number of inspectors. Let us open more regional offices. Let us go further than this," de Villepin said. "Could we not for example set up a specialized body to keep under surveillance the sites and areas that have already been inspected?"

[boxer]

Now that's about the dumbest damn thing i've heard the French say yet.

[RoughDobermann]

"Let us double, let us triple the number of inspectors. Let us open more regional offices. Let us go further than this," de Villepin said.

Translation: appease, appease, appease. Of course, the Frenchies have plenty of experience with that...

"Could we not for example set up a specialized body to keep under surveillance the sites and areas that have already been inspected?"

That's okay. The United States of America ALREADY has them under surveillance.

[SunStar]

Quick, someone post the picture of the "cheese eating surrender monkey"...

[WillVoteForFood]

"Given the choice between military intervention and an inspections regime that is inadequate because of a failure to cooperate on Iraq's part, we must choose the decisive reinforcement of the means of inspections," Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said.

This comment is frankly just completely idiotic. He admits the inspections regime is inadequate, yet decides it is the choice to go with. Triple the inspectors, so the Iraqis will have more ninnies to laugh at.

[RoughDobermann]

Best I could do on short notice...

[RoughDobermann]

This one's better...

[snarkpup]

One thing I have learned trying to sell ideas in the technical workplace is that there are limits to what you can do by offering stronger and stronger evidence to support your position. I have seen many cases where the person I was trying to convince of something becomes increasingly resistant as I offer more and more evidence. Finally, when my evidence become completely irrefutable, they go completely ballistic.

What was happening in these cases is that the person I thought was a potential customer or ally was actually an opponent - e.g., someone whose job would go away if I turn out to be right.

It will be interesting to observe this same phenomenon as pieces of evidence against Saddam Hussein, one by one, are revealed. Countries that get crazier and crazier as smoking guns are revealed must be recognized and treated as allies of the defendant, not members of the jury.

[doc30]

But the U.S. is promising enhanced inspections: 250,000 combat troops to enforce inspections and who won't take "no" for an answer.

[TankerKC]

I agree.

"Given the choice between military intervention and an inspections regime that is inadequate because of a failure to cooperate on Iraq's part..."

OK. The Foreign Minister has given us a choice. Military intervention, or inadequate inspections. Since he has proposed this, I would think that he would pick one of the two. Further, any sane person would HAVE to pick military intervention. So, Frenchy says:

we must choose the decisive reinforcement of the means of inspections," (Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin)

Did I miss something?

[piasa]

"Let us double, let us triple the number of inspectors. Let us open more regional offices. Let us go further than this," de Villepin said. "Could we not for example set up a specialized body to keep under surveillance the sites and areas that have already been inspected?"

Did I hear France volunteer to provide full funding for this specialized body for all eternity? NO? Why is that? Too expensive? Won't work and we all know it? What would France's "specialized body" do about those sites which have not been inspected? Ignore them like France has ignored all else?

[piasa]

Looks like France wants to sell some more of those Mirage crop dusters.

[Humvee]

W intends to reinforce the number of inspectors - by about 150,000 with all the full means needed for an in-depth inspection. That should make the Vichy happy.

[VRWC_minion]

we must choose the decisive reinforcement of the means of inspections

Bush is lining up a few hundred thousand weapons inpectors as we speak.

[wjcsux]

"Looks like France wants to sell some more of those Mirage crop dusters."
No, they are aerial targets for training U.S. Navy and A.F. fighter pilots.

[eureka!]

Re#8 Yep. France has something to hide, or so it seems. Methinks more will eventually be known, and it won't be exculpatory....

[Apple_Hills]

There's a very long list of things that I do not care about, don't give a rat's hiney, and at almost the top of that list is France's urges.

[lepton]

"Given the choice between military intervention and an inspections regime that is inadequate because of a failure to cooperate on Iraq's part, we must choose the decisive reinforcement of the means of inspections," Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said.

Ummmm. Isn't that what you're protesting?

Inspectors backed up by Ground troops with combined-arms cover. About 50,000 troops should do for a start...with another 150,000 available in case they meet resistance.

[mhking]

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

cheese eating surrender monkey

aren't you all getting so tired of this line?