Waiting for its punishment

There's something masochistic in Chirac's constant and exuberantly stupid declarations. Please, Ms Rice, do punish France. (Emphasis mine)

Last year's U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and ousting of President Saddam Hussein has, if anything, made the world more dangerous, French President Jacques Chirac said on the eve of a state visit to key U.S. ally Britain.

The French leader's interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, excerpts of which were aired Wednesday, indicate little chance of success for British Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to mend Franco-American ties damaged by the Iraq war.

"I'm not at all sure that one can say the world is safer," Chirac said. "There is no doubt there has been an increase in terrorism."

"To a certain extent Saddam Hussein's departure was a positive thing but it also provoked reaction such as the mobilization in a number of countries of men and women of Islam which has made the world more dangerous."

The limit of the extent can be found here and here and the increase in terrorism... there?

In a newspaper interview Tuesday, Chirac said he had urged Britain before the invasion to press President Bush to revive the Middle East peace process in return for London's support for the war.

"Well, Britain gave its support but I did not see much in return," Chirac was quoted as saying in the Times. "I am not sure that it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favors systematically."

L'hôpital qui si fout de la charité.

Meanwhile, the Ivorian quagmire is waiting. France is too busy lecturing the U.S., as always. Fasten your seatbelts, nonsense coming full speed:

France's Foreign Minister Michel Barnier appealed Wednesday to the United States to resume a truly multilateral foreign policy, especially a return to real dialogue with Europe.

"This is the moment to turn over a new leaf and act together, Americans and Europeans, together with the Russians, the United Nations..." he told the newspaper Le Figaro, commenting on recent estrangements between Europeans and George W. Bush's administration in Washington.

Huh, but I thought it was not "in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favors systematically" ?

France's relations with the United States became particularly strained over the Iraq war.

"I urge the Americans to play a more multilateral role, especially towards the Europeans," he said

Hel-lo?!? Multilateralism, French-style?

The minister said he had been seeking "the challenge of relaunching transatlantic dialogue," recalling past international cooperative efforts in trouble spots such as Ivory Coast, Haiti, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

"The true point of disagreement is probably in the ideas we have formed of the new world order and how to put an end to the current disorder."

Understand: those stupid Americans just won't accept OUR "new" world order.

"We believe you have to have several poles for the world to be more balanced," Barnier also recalled, echoing President Jacques Chirac's calls for a multi-polar world.

"China, India, Russia, South Africa, Brazil ... how can we imagine that these countries are not powers with whom we also have to conduct dialogue..."

And here we are again, la voix de son maître.

Barnier also reiterated a suggestion that, in order to relaunch dialogue, "our governments should be briefed by a group of some dozen American and European, independent, very high-level personalities, who could be chosen by President Bush on one hand and the Europeans on the other."

"This group would have the task of reviewing the entire state of our relations and their prospects. It would have to consider the possibilities of a new alliance."

Geez, that's the people taking the decisions for us, lecturing the U.S. and the whole wide world, and willing to impose their new world oder (A favorite expression of Villepin's), asking for so-called "high-level personalities" (like those?) to "review the entire state of our relations and their prospects." Go here for "the entire state" and there for "the prospects" and jump to conclusions. That's what we call to shoot oneself in the foot.