French PM Speaks Mind On Iraq

BBC World Service ^ | April 3, 2003

[Scoop]

French PM speaks mind on Iraq

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, has said that the United States erred in going to war with Iraq "morally, politically and strategically". The criticism is unusually direct compared to the normally measured terms of diplomatic exchanges between allies.

Mr Raffarin stressed that France was not anti-American but said the friendship allowed for frankness.

He was speaking on the eve of Friday's summit in Paris of the foreign ministers of France, Russia and Germany - the three countries most vocal in their opposition to the war. We think that with this war we've gone beyond the law

"It should be said - there was an alternative to war," he declared.

France was on the side of peace and law, without being pacifist, Mr Raffarin said, "and we think that with this war we've gone beyond the law".

Mr Raffarin regretted the "extreme violence" of the war and said it was a grave political error to "make trouble" in the Middle East.

France was strongly opposed to military action without exhausting all other means of disarming Iraq, and led efforts at the UN Security Council to give the weapons inspectors more time.

The remarks by Mr Raffarin were the most direct since his foreign minister Dominique de Villepin argued the French stance to the Security Council last month - receiving rare applause.

The French foreign minister is then heading for a meeting at the Vatican with Pope John Paul and talks with the foreign minister of Italy, who backs the US decision to go to war.

[Scoop]

Rumors that Mr. Raffarin followed his comments by waving a white flag and surrendering to a group of young schoolgirls have not been confirmed.

[RippleFire]

French PM Speaks Mind On Iraq - shouldn't take too long

[mombonn]

French PM Speaks Mind . . .

LOL! Walk and chew gum alert!

[syriacus]

Interesting that the French get to speak frankly, but if someone from the US does the same, they are a cowboy.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin is just another "un-coalition" nut.

[Diogenesis]

France is "Old Europe" and the "New AntiSemitism"
in a country characterized below slugs and scorpions.

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A 3-D GRAPH OF FRANCE's EMPTY CREDIBILITY AND ABSENT HONOR

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[livis_dad]

Oh Frenchie... get a backbone. You're trying to keep your political rating high, we see right through you.

[danzaroni]

The French should talk. Let's not forget that they were involved in an "illegal war" in another country that was trying to overthrow a tyranical monarchy. The year was 1776 and...

[cynicom]

The PM better have a brain check to see if anybody is home.

[realpatriot]

"Mr Raffarin regretted the "extreme violence" of the war and said it was a grave political error to "make trouble" in the Middle East."

Yep, that peaceful area didn't need its tranquility disrupted < / obvious sarcasm>

[tuckrdout]

So, what was the alternative? Has it worked for 12 years? Why not?

HOW DOES LEAVING SADDAM IN POWER BRING PEACE TO THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

This puts me in mind of Coffee Anan's statement that he didn't realize the inevitability of military action until it was too late. De facto it got late awfully early--once we had a ton of people in the desert waiting to move, pulling them back without moving got hard very fast--too hard, months ago actually.

All the UN stuff was essentially beside the point. GHW Bush made the mistake of loading up all his forces, then letting the air out of the operation when the iron was hot. Whatever else Bush does, avoiding repeating GHW's mistakes is high on his priority list.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Mr Raffarin stressed that France was not anti-American but said the friendship allowed for frankness.

And I am not anti-france but in the same spirit of frendship I must say that you are all greedy scum. And that your greed has caused many lives to be lost needlessly.

Payback will be a b*tch.

[Tunehead54]

Mr Raffarin stressed that France was not anti-American but said the friendship allowed for frankness.

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How's this for frank? Frankly, Frenchie, we don't give a damn what you think. Can you spell irrelevant? Buh-Bye.

[Tribune7]

United States erred in going to war with Iraq "morally,

But it was moral to sell Hussein a nuke plant.

[yooper]

This moron STILL doesn't get it. Unbelievable.

[tomahawk]

France is not our friend.

This is abundantly clear.

They are allies of our enemies.

[RJL]

"It should be said" - That France and Chiraq personally are dirty with illegal Iraqi money and they are very busy trying to cover up their crimes.

[Centurion2000]

Mr Raffarin stressed that France was not anti-American but said the friendship allowed for frankness.

What friendship??

[Slyfox]

THE FRENCH CAN'T EVEN PICK THEIR NOSES RIGHT

[libertyfreedom28]

Come on President Bush ! Put that little cowardly duplicitious nation in it's place.