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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (52439)	10/16/2002 3:06:27 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 281500

The French are also taking a broader view than focusing solely on their relations with the US. Among France's other interests are its economic ties to the region, its historic role in the Middle East, and its rather un-European recognition of the role of military might in the world today. Paris clearly wants to safeguard its commercial dealings with Baghdad and the Arab world. It also wants to be involved in any post-Hussein planning for Iraq. One may ask, if France, contrary to other Europeans, recognizes the "role of military might in the world today", then why did France not retain a first-class military itself? A more cynical take fully explains France's actions in the UNSC: Chirac is bargaining for the best price -- existing oil contracts honored plus a cut of future action -- but knows that he can't push Bush too far, or Bush will tell him to shove it and proceed without UNSC approval, and France will be cut out of the Iraqi oil action altogether, not to mention the hit to its political posturing. That would be a lose-lose outcome. Since Chirac is not a fool, I must believe that he will do a deal rather than permit such an outcome.