Iraq Leader Defends U.S. Troop Presence

[yellowcanine]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq (news - web sites)'s new prime minister
defended the presence of U.S. troops even after the June 30 handover of
sovereignty, telling Iraqis in his first nationally televised address Friday
that the forces' withdrawal would be a "major disaster."


More: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&ncid=535&e=3&u=/ap/20040604/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_politics_4


Mr. Allawi apparently takes his patriotism cues from Philippe Petain (Leader of Vichy France).

[David__77]

1. Subservience not patriotism.

The Petain analogy is good, but even Petain at first fought the invader, if only half-heartedly.

[yellowcanine]

2. Norway's Vidkun Quisling comes to mind also. His name is now synonomous

with traitor. He got his neck stretched for it, wonder what will happen to Allawi.

On edit: Quisling was executed by firing squad, not hanging.

[saigon68]

4. Henri-Philippe Petain

Saving France - for Germany

In 1940, aged 83, Petain agreed to head the Vichy government in occupied France. Petain fled to Switzerland after the Normandy landings but when he returned in April, 1945, he was arrested and charged with treason. Petain was found guilty of and sentenced to death for aiding the German enemy. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. Henri-Philippe Petain died in prison in 1951.

[gratuitous]

3. Full sovereignty, baby!

"After Mr. Allawi gave his statement to the press, Donald Rumsfeld patted him on the head and gave him a puppy treat."