[Atticus]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-02-09-iran-iraq_x.htm

France and Germany have been working very hard to find a way to go against the US position on Iraq in an effort to protect their own butts. It now appears that they found the solution. They have suggested that Iraq should become a UN protectorate. RIGHT! Saddam will gladly welcome thousands of UN inspectors and soldiers to roam around Iraq "protecting" it. This proposal is nearly as creatively impractical as the Emancipation Proclamation was in it's day. France and Germany can once again be absolved of any responsibiltiy, yet be in a postion to share the credit if a war is successfull, or..if all doesn't go so well, they can admonish the US and say we told you so.
Should we be suprised by this? No. Both have a long history of avoidance, and even collaboration with history's brutal dictators.
One thing IS certain -after the fighting is done, both will send troops to help maintain the peace.

[rick_reno]

Going to war without France is like going hunting and forgetting to bring your accordion.

[Lord Grey Boots]

Couple of thoughts.

Guess who would be expected to pay for most of the peace keeping costs. Probably the US.

What would additional inspectors find? The answer is either more material breaches or no more material breaches. Pretty pointless in eather case, Saddam is ALREADY in material breach, he's been caught red-handed, between the >150km rockets, the nuclear bomb materials, the chemical weapons, and the incomplete and dishonest WMD weapons declaration.

[Atticus]

I have to admit that the French and Germans are pretty clever. But of course.. they have centuries of experience in back-stabbing and political subtrifuge. They know what has to be done - they simply were looking for a way to avoid blame, and it looks like they found it. Now they can say they made a realistic proposal that was turned down by Saddam, and that the evil US went to war in spite of their efforts.

[Stephen Ewing]

To be fair: France in particular has ALWAYS tended to skip the war and go straight to the occupation.

Steve

[El Tejon]

What do you expect them to do? France and Germany must protect their revenue stream generated by Iraq.

They have little choice. Just think if Saddam contaminated the oil fields. Just think if their was a change of regime that started doing business with the UK and US instead of them. Devasting to revenue with huge welfare states to support and domestic politics being unstable in both governments. Yikes! They must maintain the status quo.

Saddam is an Israeli problem, not a French and German problem (for now, of course:D).

[Waitone]

Flight of Fantasy

White House Memo

To: Germany, France, Soviet Union

From: Dubya

Subject: Iraq

Your efforts as stopping military action are begining to annoy the US. Throw up all the gorilla dust you want, but your reasons for obstructing meaningful action in favor of pretend activity are known and appreciated for what they are. Each of you have reasons you present to your respective voting public and you are encouraged to continue with your scharade.

We here at the US.gov have a different view and we also suspect our view is a little more substantive than what is used for your domestic consumption.

In an effort to cut through the BS, hear this:

1>The US will act with your support or without your support but we will act in our own best interests.

2>At the conclusion of hostilities we we conduct a thorough physical and documentary audit of Sadaam's programs for WMD. We will publish in exquisite detail companies, countries, management, and politicians who are found to be the sources of equipment.

3>All agreements you previously struck with Iraq will be declared null and void. All contracts will be cancelled. All payments will be suspended. Development of oil fields and repair of said fields will be done by other countries. You will have to go elsewhere for your oil contracts. Iraq will not supply you oil.

4>The rebuilding of Iraq will be accomplished without your participation. You and companies of your countries will received nothing. Your countries will be frozen out of any economic participation. Full stop.

5>You will not be permitted to participate in peacekeeping forces. Your forces will not be permitted to be part of any NGO's used by the UN to aid in rebuilding Iraq. You don't want to participate in the gory, so you won't get the glory.

You've got 24 hours to change your position. You will not be permitted a last minute conversion. 24 hours from time of receipt of this email is your deadline.

Have a nice day.

[dinosaur]

The Axis of Weasels!:evil:

[UnknownSailor]

Wait One: I like it! :D

[Monkeyleg]

A letter from the front:

Dear Dad:

A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Bosnia): A French
army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he thought we Americans
were a bunch of cowboys and were going to provoke a war in Iraq. He said if
such a thing happens, we wouldn't be able to count on the support of France.

I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's rescue
in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their ingratitude
and jealousy was due to surface again at some point in the near future
anyway.

He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he would like
to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King and whip his *** in
front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, thus demonstrating that
even the smallest American had more fight in him than the average Frenchman.

He called me a barbarian cowboy and walked away in a huff. With friends
like these, who needs enemies? Dad, tell Mom I love her.

Your loving daughter,

Mary Beth Johnson, Lt. Col., USMC

[mrtgbnkr]

Did anyone happen to notice the proposed name for the Franco-German plan? Project Mirage

Which to me seems appropriate considering the definition of "mirage"

1 : an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density
2 : something illusory and unattainable like a mirage

(From http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary Emphasis Mine)