There They Go Again

The New York Times tries to stir things up with a compelling headline: France and Germany Consider Possible Roles in Postwar Iraq.

It would be a great story, and a percieved defeat for Bush. If only it would happen (the Times has its fingers crossed). But as the story itself makes clear, it isn't going to happen:

"In one sense, we were sending a signal to Washington," said one senior French official. "We didn't want to be faced with having to say no."

Don't worry about that, Jacques.

He added, "The French Army would feel humiliated to go to Iraq and be put in the same category as the Poles or the Uruguayans as part of the cleanup team."

No, the French Army has a glorious past. Remember that in World War II, the silly Poles were overrun and quickly surrendered. The French, however, fought gloriously until...they gave up and collaborated with tyranny.

Old habit dies hard.

As Michael Barone points out, things are actually going well in Iraq, and there is no need to have the French come in to try to sabotage things:

Since April 9th,
1. The formation of an Iraqi national army has begun.
2. 30,000 Iraqi police have been hired.
3. An Iraqi civil defense corps is being formed.
4.Coalition forces have captured or killed 38 of Iraq's 55 most wanted
5.Thousands of lower-level Baath Party loyalists have been rounded up or otherwise dealt with.
6.The Iraqi Central Bank has been made independent.
7.Iraq has returned to the world oil market. All of Iraq's universities have reopened.
8.Power and water are, in most places, at prewar levels, and we're making progress in Baghdad.
9.The food redistribution system has been restarted.
10. Nearly all of Iraq's 240 hospitals and 1,200 clinics are open.
11. Over 100 newspapers have begun publishing.
12. In all major cities and in 85 percent of the towns, municipal councils have been formed of Iraqis.
13. Ambassador Bremer has helped establish a new National Governing Council. It has begun exercising executive authority, appointing ministers, preparing the way for a new national constitution.

Not bad for four months.

Here is the rundown of the "news" from France, the number one rated news show on TF1 (thanks to Merde In France), on the day that Saddam's sons were killed:

fire at the Eiffel Tower
boat sunk off Belgium
drought
subventions for farmers
forest fires in Corsica
naval fire fighters in Marseille
volonteer fire fighters
security measures at camping sites
fire at the Eiffel Tower (update)
storms
camping site closed due to storms
Patrick Henry
Patrice Alègre
prison breakouts
small claims judges
Air Lib
José Bové
dope dealers
cocaine
building and construction insurance
pollution in Bouches du Rhone (south of France)
striking artists and performers
death of Philippe Ramond
Chirac in Malaysia today
Chirac in New Caledonia tomorrow
Saddam sons killed
the US calls on the UN (false report)
low moral of US troops (anti-US propaganda which is largely ineffective given the news of Saddam's sons)

And here's a lovely cartoon from La Liberacion, a large French daily (also from Merde In France):



Such cartoons are expected from enemies like Syria.

Not from our "friends."

The French (like the Left in general) want to believe that Iraq is another Vietnam, a place of no significance that will cost America dearly. But Iraq is very significant and so far the casualties have been very low. They refuse to see this, or that anything in Iraq is going America's way. For them it is all blood and chaos, until it isn't, and then they change the subject.

The French are not to be trusted with anything important. And Iraq is important.

Bring in the Poles!


- posted by total @ 7/29/2003 05:53:00 AM .