France ready to apologise to Iraq

[demoleft]

Source: BBC

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has offered to apologise to Iraq if he had meddled in its affairs.

The statement comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Maliki demanded an official apology because Mr Kouchner had suggested he resign.

Meanwhile President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a clear timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.
...

In an interview with RTL radio on Monday, Mr Kouchner said: "I think that he misunderstood, or that I was not clear enough that I was referring to comments I heard from Iraqis I talked to."



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6965301.stm

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Someone should remind Mr. Sarkozy that foreign affairs are a very serious matter. Nothing one can perform in "solos" to get applause.
The choice of men fit for the task takes more than a laugh. And Sarkozy laughs too much since he's become President.

There's nothing new, innovative or successful in "his" France. Just a series of political failures.
Time to get started seriously, Mr. President!

[tocqueville]

1. What Kouchner said...

was basically the same thing than what Hillary and others said. But as FM he shouldn't have said it. Kouchner has always been a big mouth but mostly for the right causes. It's OK when you protest over world's injustices, but he has to be more careful as FM, that's all, because it can sound as meddling.

here is the background :

PARIS - France's foreign minister said Monday he was willing to apologize if Iraq's prime minister felt he had meddled too much in Iraqi affairs during a visit last week to Baghdad.

After the trip, Bernard Kouchner was quoted by Newsweek magazine as saying the Iraqi government was "not functioning."

He also was quoted as saying he told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that there was strong support in Iraq for replacing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. On Sunday, al-Maliki demanded an apology.

"I think that (al-Maliki) misunderstood, or that I was not clear enough that I was referring to comments I heard from Iraqis I talked to," Kouchner told RTL radio.

"If the prime minister, Mr. al-Maliki, wants me to apologize for having interfered so directly in Iraqi affairs, I'll do it willingly," Kouchner said.

no big deal when you think of it

more interesting :

Sarkozy also said Iraqis needed a "clear timetable for the pullout of foreign troops."

"Then, and only then, can the international community be of more use, starting with the countries in the region," Sarkozy said.

Separately, in an opinion piece published in the International Herald Tribune, Kouchner said Iraq needs a broad-based government of national unity to help end instability and violence there.
.....

"A broad-based government of national unity must be established," he wrote. "France is prepared to act as a mediator in this endeavor."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/ap_on_re_eu/france_iraq_1

I am not a Sarkozy fan, far from that and I didn't vote for him. But the man has been in power for only 100 days, so it's a bit early to judge him. BTW his policies are not very different from what a mainstream US Democrat would do.

[demoleft]

3. On his first 100 days...

...a (probably) partial enough account, nonetheless true in its information, in Time, Sarkozy's First 100 Days, in an article signed by By BRUCE CRUMLEY:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655515,00.html

"Polls also indicate French voters are aware the upcoming period will be less happy than during Sarkozy's first 100 days — and are adjusting their attitudes towards the president accordingly. After setting record highs for popularity during his 100 days, Sarkozy's approval ratings have now fallen five points in the space of a week. However, at 61%, Sarkozy's support remains comfortable — and largely derived from his public-pleasing reputation as an active and determined leader. Indeed, so many French voters say they had gotten so disgusted with the lack of movement and modernization under previous governments that they'd be willing to accept Sarkozy-led reform, even if they aren't initially happy about its content."

The article considers also home affairs but what I had in mind was the series of accidents since the beginning of his Presidency.
Don't forget his start: it was the supposed censorship of the news about his wife not going to vote in the second turn. A trifle in itself, but a shadow as to the independence of French media - and you know Bayrou accused him to be a danger for democracy.

Then - and most important to me - the choice of his governing team.
Kouchner is a "big mouth". Yes, and worse. He has always made things his own way.
But France's foreign policy can't be performed by a "one man band" in a world like our own.
We got one in Italy, Berlusconi, who caused repeated crisis with Muslim Countries and cultures because of his inopportune words - and Italy had always had historically good relations with Muslim countries. Imagine the damage done.

I think the Iraqi mission for France was a failure. First Iraq rejected France's plans, then accused Kouchner of meddling.

The American holiday and Sarko's "closeness" to the Bush's family - something less than formal that caused bad feelings in France - counterbalance a couple of diplomatic successes - at least in my opinion.

If he would be considered a US Democrat - I don't know. Probably, yes, you're right. A moderate one.
Just when US economists look with growing interest at the European and Japanese welfare system and when the US welfare system is mostly criticized for hitting the poorest...
Maybe the USA need a lightly leftist Dem President, not a moderate one, and an "I have a dream" manifesto to get started again after all these years of injustice.

As to Kouchner, "comments I heard from Iraqis I talked to" - is a typical escape when you have to justify some way.
Again, Berlusconi's more common words in these cases is "I was misunderstood".
When, obviously enough, he wasn't!

:hi:

[Tempest]

2. Maliki better hope the CIA doesn't start meddling

He'll end up dead if they do.

[youngdem]

4. No matter what he does, Maliki is a dead man walking

If he works with the US, he's dead. If he doesn't, he's dead.

If we stay, he's dead. When we leave, he's VERY dead.