French-U.S. Tussles Reopen NATO Wounds

[cthrumatrix]

French-U.S. Tussles Reopen NATO Wounds

By Gareth Jones

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Tussles between France and the United States over how to bring security to Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) brought a sour end to a NATO (news - web sites) summit Tuesday that was meant to heal the divisions of last year's Iraq war.

President Bush (news - web sites) traveled to Europe facing domestic pressure in a presidential election year to show he has allies in Iraq. But France muddied the picture by querying Bush's interpretation of deals forged at the summit.

"We are friends (of the United States), we are allies. We are not servants, of course. And when we don't agree we don't say it aggressively but we say it in a firm manner," French President Jacques Chirac told a news conference.

snip

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20040629/wl_nm/nato_summit_dc

Germany and France delivered a very watered down version of Nato support for Iraq. Training outside the country ...while Bush positions the NATO agreement as a tremendous Iraq accomplishment.

[DrWho]

1. winning the hearts and minds

Bush sure does know how to round up the wagons.

[whosinpower]

2. I'm not sure why they stated "reopen"

Just because Bush "proclaimed" that the divisions were over - does not make it so.

And the trully sad thing is that the more Bush bumbles along - all the harder it will be for Kerry to repair the political damage done by the Bush administration.

What they both must understand in a clear and concise manner is that the UN, NATO, and most of the "free world" did not agree with the invasion of Iraq. And they are reluctant to help now for the simple reason that by helping now would somehow give the impression that the world agrees/accepts what the US has done. This is not the case.

I don't see how Kerry can undo this other than pulling out of Iraq altogether and charging Bushco. with crimes against humanity. He is a long long way away from this stand.

[Larkspur]

3. France and Germany will do their part in bringing down Bush

but I don't see them helping Kerry either with sending in more troops into the quicksands of Iraq.

[whatelseisnew]

7. Kerry will have a hairy road ahead

It'll take more than stamina to escape this quicksand. How does one get out of a quagmire? International diplomacy is a nice catch phrase. There's no way there will be an immediate withdrawal of troops. (imho)

[gulliver]

4. "tremendous Iraq accomplishment"

Funny how Bush always seems to have these tremendous accomplishments. Nothing is ever a modest success with Bush. In a way I'm glad that the Bushies have a weakness for self-aggrandizement. They undermine their own credibility because they never have any modest gains to report. If you ask them, they never have anything but "breakthroughs."

And don't forget to ask about the pie-in-the-sky. It's a specialty.

[xchrom]

5. bush fuck up #6,666,666,666,

bush just can't ever seem to get it right.

[Kellanved]

6. "French" Tussles

Sorry, but those weren't limited to France at all. When * started to open his mouth on European affairs, all went totally "Please tell me that he didn't say that".
Only the enforced harmony prior to the appointment of a new commission and the strong interest in better transatlantic relations has kept Europe from going into a complete outrage.

[dArKeR]

8. how to create more global hostility towards the U.S....

During the Istambul conference Bush managed to even disapoint his loyal NATO allies Italy and Poland that sent trrop to Iraq by announcing an immediate authority "hand over" before the fixed date of June 30th. He even didn't discuss about it with his allies (except Blair).

As Bush previously claimed in Dublin that he would do his utmost to make Turkey a E.U member, he was answered by Chirac that next time he would go to the U.S he would brief Bush on how to integrate Mexico into the U.S...fair enough.

Americans don't realize their President is sending strange signals to foreign countries : in case you oppose us, we don't give a dam. In case you support us, we don't give a dam either...For instance, the UK got no major oil contract out of Iraq. Everything was given to Halliburton...This was well noted in France and Germany. 

No matter Bush is reelected or not, the world will never be the same again...One may wonder if there isn't a special advisor to the White House whose job is to instruct Bush on how to create more global hostility towards the U.S....

----------

A European friend sent me this.