[lbo-talk] Sarkozy no fan of the Iraq war

Robert Wrubel bobwrubel at yahoo.com
Tue Aug 28 09:28:33 PDT 2007


I imagine the reasons that France opposed the war in the first place -- commercial prospects it had with Saddam before the invasion -- probably still exist and Sarkozy is echoing them.

BobW Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:

pid=20601085&sid=a2oGGj8tqgGY&refer=europe>

Sarkozy Says U.S. Troop Pullout Would Help End Iraq Civil War By Helene Fouquet

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the prospect of a U.S. troop pullout from Iraq would help lead to a political settlement among the warring parties there.

``Defining a clear prospect for the withdrawal of foreign troops'' is required for Iraq to move out of civil war, he said in a speech to French ambassadors in Paris today. ``The only possible solution is a political solution.''

France is increasing its diplomatic involvement in Iraq, seeking to ease lingering tensions with the U.S. from then- President Jacques Chirac's opposition to the American-led toppling of Saddam Hussein. ``France was and remains hostile to this war,'' Sarkozy said today.

Still, Sarkozy supported Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner after he criticized Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his government. Kouchner apologized for the criticism. Kouchner this month made the first visit to Iraq by a French minister since 2003. He said today France is prepared to act as a mediator to help establish a broad- based government of national unity.

``He (Kouchner) was right to go to Baghdad and led this trip remarkably,'' Sarkozy said. ``I work with him in full confidence.''

In an Aug. 24 interview posted on Newsweek's Web site, Kouchner said ``many people believe that the prime minister ought to be changed'' and that ``the government is not functioning.''

Al-Maliki demanded an apology from the French government at a news conference in Baghdad yesterday. Kouchner apologized today on RTL radio.

``I was very polite and apologized,'' Kouchner said after the president's speech. ``Maybe I shouldn't have said it straight away. Maybe I should have said that `people' have told me that he is going to leave, because he is going to.''

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