http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/3/19/141022.shtml
With the probable onset of war in Iraq just a few hours away, France scrambled today to repair damage caused by its strong refusal to back military force to disarm Saddam Hussein. President Jacques Chirac said in a television statement that an American-led war with Iraq was unjustified, but at the same time, the French ambassador to Washington, Jean-David Levitte, said Tuesday that France's position would change if Iraq used chemical or biological weapons. A foreign ministry source commented today that the question was hypothetical and theoretical, "but it meant that France would help the victims if banned weapons were used. That assistance would have to be evaluated at the time," the source said. "If biological or chemical weapons are used in Iraq, the victims would have to be helped in Iraq." Germany Still Refuses to Help Against Saddam's Chemicals The French stance differs from that of Germany, which said that its chemical detection units posted in the region would be unavailable to assist U.S. forces inside Iraq. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin was joined by his Russian and German counterparts in an 11th-hour meeting at the United Nations today to discuss help for war victims and to evaluate reports from weapons inspectors. With the failure of France's efforts to avoid a war, many French consider themselves targeted as scapegoats because they led the opposition to the use of force. An editorial in the Liberation daily newspaper today talked about "Bushblair" trying to "start a new Cold War where Paris would replace Moscow." Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin defended French-American relations. "It is not because we don't want to participate in this war that we are at war with the United States," he said. Although recent polls have shown that up to 90 percent of the French population supports Chirac's position, France is feeling the sting of critical remarks from Washington and London and is worried about its future relations with these long-standing allies. As with speculations on the use of banned weapons by Iraq, others wonder if it might not be Washington that is right and France that is wrong. 'We Would Look Really Stupid' Liberation reported that Dominique Dord, a deputy from the majority UMP party, said during Tuesday's assembly debate, "We would look really stupid if Iraqis applaud the arrival of Americans." Chirac today instructed his ministers to be "fully mobilized, attentive and vigilant" because of the Iraqi situation. Like many other countries, France has increased security measures. xponent Weaponers Of Iraq Maru rob My love and I, we escaped, we left no trace For they had raped both body and soul ... The taste was much too hard to swallow, We ran naked through the cold ... Above our heads, in fiery red, The clouds, they bled like open wounds across the sky ... The wings of many nations, falling, burning, turning, Trying oh, so hard to die ... Oh, oh, oh, oh, there's Panic in the World ... _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
