France: Our Mistake ... Preemptive War OK
France, America's erstwhile ally and recent antagonist, could be
doing an about face on its national nuclear policy.
Jacques Chirac, formerly seen as too pro-American, and now seen as
anti-American, is reportedly hinting around at making a speech in which he will
announce that, should France feel threatened by weapons of mass destruction,
France might strike first.
This was originally reported in the French paper Lib�ration. Chirac's
government has not completely denied the article, only saying that its policy of
"force de frappe" - deterrent against regional powers threatening with WMD - is
still in effect.
However, Britain's Independent writes that Lib�ration quoted "senior military
sources," who "said this policy was under review and a new position would be
expressed."
So, is Chirac coming around to George Bush's point of view, or is there
something else here? Is it really possible that Chirac will admit he was wrong
in opposing the U.S., Britain, Australia and dozens of other countries regarding
Iraq and the threat it posed?
Not likely.
Some say that Chirac is merely bowing to national criticism that he is soft
on WMD, as hinted at in a speech by France's Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre
Raffarin.
There are also murmurs in the French military that France is wasting 10
percent of its budget on nukes that, according to current policy, will never be
used. Why spend another 3 billion euros to modernize?
The former head of the French institute of higher defense studies, General
Bernard Norlain, agrees. He told the Independent that a shift in doctrine was
inevitable. "We have been working under the concept of non-use and deterrence,"
he said. "We said, 'This weapon is not designed to be used'. Now, faced with a
potential enemy that is quite irrational, we are going to have to reverse that
concept."
Hindsight is indeed 20/20.
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