WT Forums

Bonded by blood


Changing faces ... We transform
Chirac into his pal Saddam
By DAVID WOODING
Whitehall Editor

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac stood accused last night of being a blood brother of Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein.

Evil Saddam has slaughtered millions of people during his decades in power.

And yesterday Chirac killed off a final push for peace by blocking an 11th-hour bid to force the Butcher of Baghdad to disarm.

The French president — dubbed Le Worm — was said to have poisoned the process when he refused to back a move to avoid war.

Britain wanted to hand Saddam a list of six demands he would have to meet to avoid destruction of his regime by UK and US forces. With a united front, it could have ended the crisis without a single bullet being fired.

But the French president dismissed the ultimatum within minutes — even before Saddam had a chance to examine it.

And he vowed to veto ANY new resolution put before the United Nations Security Council.

Chirac’s stubborn stand sparked a bitter war of words between Britain and France. Prime Minister Tony Blair claimed Chirac had brought war closer by easing the pressure on Saddam to destroy his weapons of mass destruction.

America also tore into the French leader, accusing him of giving succour to his “friend” Saddam.

But it was Mr Blair, who has worked round the clock for a peace deal, who was most furious.

He claimed the “unreasonable” French had wrecked hopes of winning a second UN resolution to show the world’s desire for a concerted effort to tackle Iraq.

In a brutal put-down, Mr Blair’s official spokesman said: “France rejected our tests before Iraq. Enough said.”

He accused Chirac of turning his back on a commitment to disarm Saddam when he supported the last UN resolution in November.

The spokesman said: “This is poisoning the diplomatic process.

“It’s clear what we meant when everyone — including France — signed UN resolution 1441.

“When we warned Saddam would face serious consequences if he failed to comply, we didn’t just mean more weapons inspectors.”

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it was “extraordinary” that France was prepared to vote no to any proposal, regardless of its content. He said: “Without proper consideration, the French government has rejected these proposals.

“We will continue to work for a peaceful end. But this obviously makes that process more difficult.”

Chancellor Gordon Brown added: “It is an unreasonable blockage of an international agreement.”

He spoke as Iraqi forces and volunteers from other Arab nations trained near Baghdad for an assault by the Western allies.



Ready to die ... Arab volunteers
at training camp near Baghdad

The military preparations continued while Mr Blair pursued his quest for peace.

His plan would have given Saddam seven to ten days to meet the six tough conditions.

They would insist he first go on TV to tell the world he is ready to destroy his weapons.

He would then be forced to allow 30 weapons scientists to be interrogated and lead UN inspectors to his missiles, unmanned drone planes, and chemical and biological dumps.

The draft resolution was circulated among Security Council members on Wednesday night — but swiftly snubbed by the French.

The row plunged Britain’s chilly relationship with France into a deep freeze. Experts feared it could take years, even decades, to rebuild the shattered entente. Tory foreign affairs spokesman Alan Duncan said: “They have been hypocrites on the second resolution from the start.”

Britain’s former ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, accused Chirac of “inhabiting a box with Saddam”.

In a ferocious attack on Paris, he said: “They are in effect giving comfort to Saddam Hussein.”

The Queen was put on stand-by last night to give official royal backing to war on Saddam.

Tony Blair ordered the monarch to cancel Monday’s visit to Brussels in order to invoke the Royal Prerogative needed before troops go into action.

She will rubber-stamp the move at an emergency War Cabinet meeting on Monday.

MPs will be given a chance to vote in a special debate on Tuesday — but by then the war is expected to have started.


COMMONS leader Robin Cook signalled he may quit if Britain goes to war without UN backing.

Mr Cook warned it was “inconceivable” for Mr Blair to order troops into action only on a vote by MPs. But the PM is determined to drive the issue through Parliament, backed by the vast majority of Labour and Tory MPs.


IDS backing Blair



Stance ... Tory boss

RELATED STORIES
Sun Says





IAIN Duncan Smith signalled yesterday the Tories WOULD support war without a second UN resolution.

Ex-Army officer Mr Duncan Smith said a new resolution was “less likely than at any time before”, making military action more likely.

Asked about the Tories’ stance he said: “We have always made it clear it was a very good idea to get that second resolution. But a second resolution, whilst important, is not absolutely vital because 1441 authorises military action for the UN if Saddam does not comply.”

The Tory leader spoke out after Downing Street talks at which Tony Blair told him the French had “threatened to veto almost anything that is put forward”.

Second story from England.

Le Worm sold
out his nation



CHARLATAN Jacques Chirac is basking in cheap applause for his “Save Saddam” campaign — but his treachery will cost his people dear.

This grandstanding egomaniac has inflicted irreparable damage on some of the most important yet fragile structures of international order.

He has exposed the United Nations as an impotent talking shop and driven a wedge through the heart of the European Union.

He has insulted newly democratic European countries like Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, and he has rocked the foundations of Tony Blair, the most popular Prime Minister ever to hold the office in Britain.

But his most grievous blunder has been to make an enemy of America. The USA will take a long time to forgive Chirac for putting the interests of Saddam Hussein ahead of a nation which has bled for his people. The Second World War ended 58 years ago, but for many Americans who fought or lost loved ones, it was only yesterday.

They remember graveyards full of white crosses bearing the names of young men who died to liberate France for the second time in a century.



Most popular ... PM Tony Blair
Americans are an emotional people and they have taken rejection by the French people badly.

This week, a veteran of the Normandy landings said: “If I went to France again, I’d spit on them.”

A source in the US capital said: “Chirac has made it impossible to restore normal diplomatic relations. The American people won’t allow it.”

Consumers are turning their backs on French perfumes, wines and cars.

Restaurants are erasing “French fries” from their menus and substituting “Freedom fries”.

But that’s just the start. America is a vast, rich country. The giant Wal-mart chain is worth more than Europe’s defence firms put together. Bill Gates’ Microsoft empire has more cash than the entire UK defence budget.

This self-confident mammoth can be clumsy and sometimes treads on toes. The UN may be a talking shop but, until this week, it was a diplomatic channel for countries like France to sort out such misunderstandings.

At a stroke, Chirac has destroyed this crucial link to the White House.

For all his lofty pretence, Chirac’s motive is to boost French oil and trade deals with Iraq. In the name of France, Chirac has seriously damaged his country’s national interest.

But when the West starts rebuilding this tragic nation, French contractors will be firmly shut out.

French people may cheer Chirac today, but their mood will turn bloody once they realise the truth.

Vive la Revolution.


French just want
their £50b deal
By SIMON HUGHES
Chief Investigative Reporter

FRANCE stands accused of trying to shield a £50BILLION payday by refusing to sanction war against Saddam Hussein.

The colossal sum is the reward for developing two of Iraq’s biggest untapped oilfields.

Jacques Chirac has wriggled desperately in a bid to save the huge bonanza.

He is also determined to save trade worth more than £1billion a year.

Experts believe a new regime in Iraq would want to renegotiate existing contracts — with the French squeezed out.

French petrol firm TotalFinaElf has exclusive exploration contracts from Saddam to develop two vast untapped oilfields at Majnoon and Bin Umar.

Although oil is the richest prize, France’s trade with Saddam has risen from £440million in 1997 to £1.1billion in 2001.

Sales of French goods have soared by 65 per cent and France has “priority supplier” status.

The country appears to be exploiting the UN “oil for food” programme to sell its products in Iraq, where international trade sanctions apply.

One Paris industrialist said: “Once you’re past the UN sanctions, all contracts are honoured and payments made on time.”

President Chirac remains the only Western leader ever to have met Saddam, and has described him as “a personal friend”.

Chirac has also been accused of taking bungs from firms in return for awarding contracts worth £100million while mayor of Paris.

But a judge had to shelve his inquiry because Chirac has immunity from prosecution.

Both good articles, but could you please include links to the sites where they can be found in the future?

Thanx.

"We shall leave no man behind"

Ok, I did not know if the links would dissappear with the new news cycle.

It's just good practice.



"We shall leave no man behind"

sniper here is the link http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003120439,00.html

Thanx, this way everyone knows the story is legit, and the source.


"We shall leave no man behind"