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I am trying to understand what is motivating France and Germany in the Iraq situation. In Germany's case they have some investments in Iraq but nothing worth getting too excited about. Germany's position seems to have softened somewhat in the last two weeks. France may have manipulated Germany to some extent during the intitial phases of diplomatic maneuvering.

I have come to understand one thing about the French-German perspective on this crisis that I didn't fully appreciate before things came to a boil. France and Germany do not understand or sympathize with America's support for the State of Israel. From their perspective Israel is that "sh***y little country" and our support of Israel needelessy inflames the Arab world.

It is also a fact that the EU imports 100% of its oil most of it from the Middle East. Stability of oil prices is a life or death matter for the EU economies. It is a least understandable that they will find the prospect of conflict in the Middle East deeply alarming.

Having said that, however, it must also be observed that there is a significant gap between policy aspirations of the EU bloc and their capabilities. As was detailed in a recent Wall Street Journal article the armies of the EU are little more than jobs programs with little military effectiveness. The EU cannot project anything other than token military power at present. This reality makes EU diplomatic initiatives feckless.

The first Bush adminsitration gave free reign to an independent EU foreign policy during the initial phases of the Bosnian crisis. It was a disaster. The EU army was unable to supress the violence and diplomatically the EU effort was hampered by disagreements between Germany, France, and Britain.

The current German and French policy on Iraq is obstructionist; it doesn't offer a realistic alternative to the policy of the Bush administration. Because this obstructionism seems irrational I have sought a psychological explanation for the French and German posture.

If you have a more cogent rationale that better explains the French and German position I would love to hear it.

"The current German and French policy on Iraq is obstructionist; it doesn't offer a realistic alternative to the policy of the Bush administration. Because this obstructionism seems irrational I have sought a psychological explanation for the French and German posture.

If you have a more cogent rationale that better explains the French and German position I would love to hear it."

Seems that silence is your only answer ggekko, well done. Interesting reading between you two, but I noticed that Burkeman1 realized he was in far over his head after a couple responses when it resorted to name calling with the Neocon rip and describing your summaries as hit pieces. Nothing could be further from the truth and I suspect even he understood that his drive by snipes didn't relate to you.

I optimistically look at this anti French backlash as a wonderful thing, in that its a wakeup call for the right in America. The French have been trying to undercut us at least since the fall of Communism, and I felt like a lone voice in the wilderness about their blatent Anti capitalist, anti American stances until this flared up. Its in America's national interest not to go to any wars with France. (Not that it would matter)I doubt it even serves any good to boycott them. The summation of this latest episode shouldn't be that America is filled with hatred for the Frenchman.

Its that America should simply not trust the opinions of the Frenchman.