France Backs Off Sanctions for Iran re Nukes

[NoZed Avenger]

I assume that this is accurate, but have not cross-checked:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article1619246.ece

President Jacques Chirac has broken ranks with the US and Britain by calling for the suspension of UN Security Council action against Iran during negotiations over its nuclear programme.

In a radio interview yesterday before flying to New York for the UN General Assembly, the French President provoked a diplomatic storm by backing Iran's demand that the Security Council should halt its involvement in the nuclear dossier.

* * *

The French President is the first European leader to state publicly that a freeze by Iran is not a precondition for opening talks. The concession to Iran seems to be linked to events in Lebanon, where there had been concern that French soldiers may be targeted by Iran's proxy militia, Hizbollah, over France's previously hardline stance in the nuclear negotiations.


The West is through. If the threat of a nuclear Iran (in violation of treaty) is not enough to even allow the consideration of sanctions -- economic ones, even, which themselves are probably too weak to have a large impact -- then what is?

Will the last non-radical convert to leave the West please turn out the lights? Or at least put out a few of the car fires.

[Darth Rotor]

I assume that this is accurate, but have not cross-checked:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article1619246.ece




The West is through. If the threat of a nuclear Iran (in violation of treaty) is not enough to even allow the consideration of sanctions -- economic ones, even, which themselves are probably too weak to have a large impact -- then what is?

Will the last non-radical convert to leave the West please turn out the lights? Or at least put out a few of the car fires.
Follow the money. I suspect that behind this is a financial or economic motive, and that the French concern in re Hezbollah is a fig leaf.

I accept that my hunch could be wrong.

DR

[varwoche]

France sickens me as much as does the US. Over 10 years ago I vowed never to buy a French-made product and I renew that vow today.

[BPSCG]

Follow the money. I suspect that behind this is a financial or economic motive, and that the French concern in re Hezbollah is a fig leaf.Don't forget the French consideration of their large Muslim minority, which has demonstrated it is not averse to violence.

[Darth Rotor]

Don't forget the French consideration of their large Muslim minority, which has demonstrated it is not averse to violence.
I was not under the impression that Algerians (typically Sunni IIRC) were all that enamored of Shia and Persian pretensions as leaders of the Islamic world. (Anyone knows better, please correct me.)

The matter of assisting Lebanon, and of keeping Israelis out of Lebanon, would, if properly sold, appeal as a rebuke to the Israelis on the French/Arab street.

Any French folks here care to comment?

DR

[StewartP]

Any French folks here care to comment?
2007 is general election year in France. So just about everything that any french politian says right now is said with that in mind.

Chirac has been increasingly seen as irrelevant and past it. His rivals (Sarkozy ahead of de Villepin) jockey for position. The left have a very photogenic candidate in Segolene Royal, but they are also infighting over party leadership.

So Chirac has come up with a few statements over the last few days to try and show he is not toothless.

[Beerina]

Didn't they watch Superman II? There's no Superman, so Perry White won't have a difficult choice picking between "Paris Saved!" and "Paris Destroyed!"

[DaChew]

I hear French nuclear power plant parts are some of the best in the world. Expensive though. Course, that's not something you want to scrimp on.