Re: [A-List] US imperialism: France

["Tariq Mahmood" <zaogir@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The row between France and the US on the second esolution before UNSC suggests two points:

 

a) France, of all countries of the world has her conscience on trial. If the French feel the resolution demands of the Council an licence that is not fair they should go veto it. The heavy handedness will of the US will not only not harm her interests but the latter will morally be that much weakened.

 

b)  Bellicosity of the US which is continuously getting out of control need to be harnessed before it endangers the whole world including herself. France and her President should be supported by all who feel the need for justice and peace on earth.

 

Tariq

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"Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@mbs.fi> wrote:

Veto would put France out in the cold, warns America
 By John Lichfield in Paris
 The Independent
 26 February 2003
 
The US ambassador to Paris gave a blunt warning yesterday that Franco-American relations would plunge into the deep freeze if France used its UN veto to block a draft second resolution on Iraq.
 
Howard Leach told a French television interviewer: "I hope there won't be a veto, because a veto would be very unfriendly, and we would not look favourably on that."
 
Officially, France says that it has not yet considered whether or not to use its veto, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Paris says it is still hopeful that a majority will support its alternative
plan to strengthen inspections and extend them for four months.
 
But French sources unofficially accept that Paris is nearing a dangerous precipice. If most of the Council backs the US, France would face an impossible choice. If it used its veto, it would seem to be blocking the will of the international community. The future of the Security Council the veto and the French role would be called into question.
 
The US, Britain and Spain tabled the second resolution before the Security Council on Monday, in effect beginning a two-week countdown to war. But France, backed by Russia, China and Germany, submitted a plan aimed at averting military action as long as the inspection process is going on.
 
Canada distributed a compromise plan yesterday in which Iraq would be given a 28 March deadline to comply with UN demands or face war. The Canadian paper said the plan aimed to bridge the gap between an "open-ended" and a "truncated inspection process", leaving "no doubt that war was a last resort".
 
French deputies will debate Iraq today. They are expected to endorse the government's position. However, some centre-right deputies want President Jacques Chirac to be more flexible.
 
Axel Poniatowksi, of Mr Chirac's UMP party and head of the assembly's Franco-American friendship group, said: "A veto would be particularly inappropriate ... It would not be in the interests of our country and would damage Franco-American relations for many years."
 
Diplomatic sources said the likely outcome ­ if the US assembled a pro-war majority ­ was that France would abstain and be outvoted. It would not use its veto but would not participate in the war.