[lbo-talk] France caves on control of Oil

[Paul_A]

>France sides with US by supporting call to lift sanctions
>By David Usborne in New York
>The Independent, U.K.   23 April 2003
>
>France proposed suspending sanctions against Iraq as soon as possible 
>yesterday. The move seemed aimed equally at boosting the speed of 
>reconstruction and mending some of the damage done to relations between 
>Paris and Washington in the run-up to the war.
>
>The surprise initiative came from the French ambassador to the UN, 
>Jean-Marc de La Sablière. While America also urged an end to the sanctions 
>last week, Russia and some other Security Council members would like to 
>wait until UN inspectors have certified Iraq free of banned weapons.
>
>"We should immediately suspend the sanctions," M. de la Sablière said 
>after a meeting of the Council in New York. He added that the UN's 
>oil-for-food scheme, which pays for humanitarian supplies from Iraq's 
>crude oil sales, should be adjusted, "with a view of a phasing out of this 
>programme".
>
>Soon after the ambassador spoke, the French Foreign Minister, Dominique de 
>Villepin, reasserted the new French position during a visit to Turkey. "We 
>believe, of course respecting the international legality, we should as 
>fast as possible try to lift these sanctions," M. de Villepin told reporters.
>
>Before the outbreak of hostilities in Iraq, France and Russia were leading 
>the anti-war camp in the Security Council and the bitter arguments left a 
>deep chill on US-French relations. By siding with Washington now on this 
>issue, France may be hoping to start a thaw.
...............
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=399590