Regards, Ivan
Posted on 03/19/2003 5:10:36 PM PST by MadIvan
Anglo-French relations fell to a new low last night after Downing Street rejected a protest from Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister, over the way his country is being blamed for the failure to achieve a diplomatic solution on Iraq.
M de Villepin telephoned Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, yesterday to tell him the French government was "shocked and saddened" at British ministers' criticism of France in the Commons.
Tony Blair has led a concerted attack on France for its threat to veto a fresh UN resolution giving authority for military action.
The Prime Minister told MPs on Tuesday that France had acted "unreasonably".
He described its stance as misguided and profoundly dangerous, stressing that this had ultimately benefited Saddam Hussein. John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, claimed that without French opposition Saddam could have been disarmed "without a shot being fired".
The Foreign Ministry in Paris issued a statement saying: "These arguments are not worthy of a country which is both a friend and European partner.
"This presentation of the facts does not conform to reality and deceives no one."
Bernard Valero, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, described M de Villepin's telephone call as "pretty vigorous" - diplomatic language for angry exchanges.
The Foreign Office refused to comment except to confirm that the call took place.
Downing Street made clear that Mr Blair was in no mood to apologise to President Jacques Chirac when they meet tonight at a European Union summit in Brussels for the first time since the French veto threat. The 15 EU leaders will discuss over dinner the Iraq crisis, which has caused serious divisions in Europe.
France and Germany have taken the lead in opposing war with Iraq, but Spain, Italy and Portugal have sided with Britain and America.
Mr Blair's official spokesman acknowledged that there was a "fundamental difference" between Britain and France over Iraq.
He pointed to statements by M Chirac and M de Villepin that France would not accept a new United Nations resolution on Iraq that contained an implicit or explicit threat to use force.
"If you neuter the threat, you embolden the tyrant," Mr Blair's spokesman said.
British officials said that when Mr Blair and M Chirac spoke by telephone last weekend, their conversation was good natured. If the issue was raised when they met today, Mr Blair would reiterate his view that the French action had prevented a diplomatic solution.
Asked if France would try and mend fences with Britain at the summit, M Valero said: "Everything in time".
M Chirac's office refused to be drawn on Mr Blair's comments, saying only that they risked "this kind of reaction" but that the president would not be drawn into a game of tit-for-tat or polemics.
Having lost the battle to stop military action against Iraq, M Chirac is anxious to retain his position as the leader of the world's peace camp and not simply disappear as the war begins.
The French parliament has had only limited debate on Iraq. M Chirac intervened personally to stop any vote on his conduct of diplomacy.
A handful of deputies were concerned that he was pointlessly poisoning Franco-US relations. But they were prevented from putting their case in debates dominated by Chirac supporters.
Regards, Ivan
Thanks, Britain. It's good to have a real friend in this uncertain world.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Jamais reculez á tyrannie un pouce!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! Never give an inch to tyranny!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Jamais reculez á tyrannie un pouce!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! Never give an inch to tyranny!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
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