Jacques Chirac goes flip flop

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-03-18 01:23pm

'France has announced it could assist any US-led military coalition if Iraq uses chemical and biological weapons'
What is up with this guy? does he get up in the morning and flip a coin? sheeesh!

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3 ... 93,00.html

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2003-03-18 01:29pm

He is covering his ass-etts from the sound of it

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-03-18 01:30pm

Worm...

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-03-18 01:31pm

Are you shitting me? Who would WANT France's help at that point? They would be partly to blame for dragging their feet on this issue and not putting the screws to the dictator ALLOWING him to use chemical and biological weapons against our troops. I say freeze France out of ANY involvement in Iraq. Isolate the fuckers from the world stage and marginalize them. Do as the Isaraelis tried to do with Arafat and say simply "France is no longer relevant."

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-03-18 01:33pm

All of the other Frenchies are going ot have a field day with this news. He'll never be able to hold his head up high in public again.

Now, can we change the name back ot "French Fries"?

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-03-18 01:35pm

Stravo wrote: I say freeze France out of ANY involvement in Iraq. Isolate the fuckers from the world stage and marginalize them. Do as the Isaraelis tried to do with Arafat and say simply "France is no longer relevant."

Isolate them from Iraq? So who decides for the Iraqis what happens to the in the new "Liberated Iraq"? The democratic gov't of Iraq, or their new dictator Mr. Bush?

theski · Post by **theski** » 2003-03-18 01:36pm

Did anyone not expect this to happen, once they realized we were going with or without the UN... FROG

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-03-18 01:40pm

Zoink wrote:
Stravo wrote: I say freeze France out of ANY involvement in Iraq. Isolate the fuckers from the world stage and marginalize them. Do as the Isaraelis tried to do with Arafat and say simply "France is no longer relevant."
Isolate them from Iraq? So who decides for the Iraqis what happens to the in the new "Liberated Iraq"? The democratic gov't of Iraq, or their new dictator Mr. Bush?

The nations that actually risked blood and treasure to stop a dictator. You know what you're absolutely right that dictatorship of Bush we set up in Afghanistan sure is working wonders for us that should be the blueprint for all our "conquests"

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-03-18 01:42pm

Bah, they just want to get into baghdad before we do so they can file Fabrique En France off of all the crap that has been shipped to Saddam over the last ten years.

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-03-18 01:45pm

Stravo wrote: The nations that actually risked blood and treasure to stop a dictator. You know what you're absolutely right that dictatorship of Bush we set up in Afghanistan sure is working wonders for us that should be the blueprint for all our "conquests"

Then you agree that Iraq will not be a democratic country run by Iraqis?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-03-18 01:48pm

Nathan F wrote:Bah, they just want to get into baghdad before we do so they can file Fabrique En France off of all the crap that has been shipped to Saddam over the last ten years.

i'm glad someone else can see that. Chirac is such a piece of shit, now that the French voting left loves him, he's trying to pander to the right now and the French are eating it up like he's the second coming of Charles fucking DeGaulle!

theski · Post by **theski** » 2003-03-18 01:48pm

Zoink,

he was being sarcastic

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2003-03-18 01:51pm

It's about what I expected. Chirac has set himself up as the heir of DeGaulle - the great French leader who would exert all his influence to check the ambitions of the American cowboy. By now, Chirac's probably realizing that he has badly overplayed his hand. Rather than checking American actions, he has provoked America to act in spite of the UN rather than in accordance with it, and thus pretty much succeeded in making the UN look irrelevant. Since the UN was pretty much France's only remaining avenue to a claim as great power status, France now looks rather irrelevant as well.

Chirac is now exercising damage control politics, since he still wants France to get a slice of the pie after the shooting stops. I fully expect our government will overlook France's recent obstructionism again, and welcome them back as a reluctant, but still solid ally. I don't think that's what ought to happen, but I'm sure it will.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-03-18 01:59pm

Perinquus wrote:<snip>I fully expect our government will overlook France's recent obstructionism again, and welcome them back as a reluctant, but still solid ally. I don't think that's what ought to happen, but I'm sure it will.

I dunno, Bush is not one to take crap off of them. I would say that we might take them back as an ally, but, until Chirac looses power, we won't take them seriously.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2003-03-18 02:01pm

It's not uncommon for French to do a sudden 180 degree turn in such matters. However, you must remember that "it could assist any US-led military coalition if Iraq uses chemical and biological weapons." Tell me, what is wrong with this?

Sure, I may sound like SeaSkimmer, but enough of this French bashing...

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2003-03-18 02:05pm

Oberleutnant wrote:It's not uncommon for French to do a sudden 180 degree turn in such matters. However, you must remember that "it could assist any US-led military coalition if Iraq uses chemical and biological weapons." Tell me, what is wrong with this?

Sure, I may sound like SeaSkimmer, but enough of this French bashing...

If I were Bush, in a case like that I would give France a polite, but firm "Thanks all the same, but I think we've got it covered."

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-03-18 02:05pm

theski wrote:Zoink, he was being sarcastic

Well I'm still confused:

A liberated democratic Iraq gov't would be the who decides which countries it deals with, not the U.S.

He says the U.S. is to be the one who decides.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2003-03-18 02:07pm

Oberleutnant wrote:It's not uncommon for French to do a sudden 180 degree turn in such matters. However, you must remember that "it could assist any US-led military coalition if Iraq uses chemical and biological weapons." Tell me, what is wrong with this?

Sure, I may sound like SeaSkimmer, but enough of this French bashing...

I see a big exception if Iraq has nukes...

Now about that aluminum tubing?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-03-18 02:11pm

Oberleutnant wrote:It's not uncommon for French to do a sudden 180 degree turn in such matters. However, you must remember that "it could assist any US-led military coalition if Iraq uses chemical and biological weapons." Tell me, what is wrong with this?

Sure, I may sound like SeaSkimmer, but enough of this French bashing...

A week ago, the French were swearing that there were no WMD in Iraq, why would they now offer to help if Iraq uses the same nonexistant WMD? Either they are making a promise they're sure they won't have to keep, or they realize they fucked up and Iraq does have the weapons. Either way they look like first class jerks.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-03-18 02:21pm

Zoink wrote:
theski wrote:Zoink, he was being sarcastic
Well I'm still confused:

A liberated democratic Iraq gov't would be the who decides which countries it deals with, not the U.S.

He says the U.S. is to be the one who decides.

I'm talking about reconstruction. France should not be allowed to be part of the reconstruction. They did not want to risk life and money to liberate a nation they should not be allowed to help rebuild that nation. A democratic Iraq will not happen overnight, much like Afghanistan. There will be a period of reconstruction where the US and her allies will be in control. That is when we marginlize France and when the democratic nation of Iraq rises to power hopefully the will see the wisdom of keeping France away from them.

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-03-18 02:26pm

Stravo wrote: I'm talking about reconstruction. France should not be allowed to be part of the reconstruction

Perhaps for the very *initial* reconstruction (like for emergency stuff). However, Iraqis aren't stupid. There are plenty of intelligent business people in Iraq who are perfectly capable of making descisions on how to sell oil, how to hire a company to rebuild a building or oil rig, where to buy their car from, etc.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-18 04:23pm

Most nations have been fence-sitting through this whole thing (my own being a good example). France has probably been the most visible outright opponent of military action, so he's probably worried that they've overplayed their hand.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-18 04:29pm

The Germans for all the opposition already have an NBC warfare unit in Kuwait. Poland is also sending one. Last time around most of the former Warsaw pact sent at least one company for the job, since there doctrine called for Chemical usage in any conflict they would fight they had quite good training and equipment.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2003-03-18 04:32pm

Now, can we change the name back ot "French Fries"?

Hell they shouldn't even be called French Fries to begin with, seeing as how they were invented in Paris TEXAS. you knew fries couldn;t be french anyway. Theres something about greasy potato fattening treats that has "AMERICAN" written all over them.

And im damn proud of it too, I love the tasty fries.

You think Frere Jacque is just trying to cover his ass or do you think Britain and Spain slid him some classified info under the table and out of the way of the UN. Or, do you think he is trying to shield the France from potential economic impacts involved in opposing two of their wealthiest allies?

Post by **Coyote** » 2003-03-18 04:36pm

Hmm....

Maybe the French do, indeed, know something about Iraqi chemical weapons after all....

Now I'll go back to eating my "Liberty Toast"...