“More troubling, the French and Germans were, intentionally or not, giving Saddam’s regime the impression that they could stop a military confrontation (…) By giving Saddam a false sense of security, and thereby reducing the incentive for him to comply with the UN’s demands, the French and Germans undoubtedly made a war more likely, not less. (…) In any event, the phrase ‘old Europe’ entered the vernacular. The segments of Americans that preferred calling french fries ‘freedom fries’ loved it (…) The elites in Paris and Bonn who thought themselves the guardians of a sophisticated, new world order did not. All in all I was amused by the ruckus.” – Donald Rumsfeld, Known and Unknown,
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15 thoughts on “Rumsfeld takes aim at Schroeder, Chirac in new memoir”
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WHATEVER!
Amnesty International:
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/waronterror/pulp-fiction/
“The elites in Paris and Bonn”… Bonn? Germany’s capital was moved back to Berlin in the 90s, years before the Iraq invasion. When did he stopped updating his worldview?
The Bush administration did not achieve any of its goals in Iraq. No weapons of mass destruction were found. Iraq is now a soft dictatorship and not a democracy. The outcome was just as Jacques Chirac had predicted.
Donald Rumsfeld is a war criminal. Over 4,000 American soldiers were killed and many more wounded. Over 100,000 Iraqis were killed, many more were wounded. Over 4,000,000 Iraqis were displaced.
The American budget deficit has grown tremendously because of the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. As a result, in the United States police officers, teachers and others are losing their jobs because there is not enough money.
I can’t wait to read Chirac’s memoires regarding Iraq.
It is very strange to talk of the “elites” in France and Germany, a typically populist wording. Rumsfeld deliberately ignores that opposition to the war in Iraq was a mass phenomenon, and that his expression “old Europe” was widely disapproved of.
From the Rumsfeld Papers at rumsfeld.com
February 18, 2003 12:19 PM
TO: President George W. Bush
FROM: Donald Rumsfeld
SUBJECT: France
Attached is a memo the CIA prepared that is a snapshot of current French policy differences with the US. As you will note, a great many of them involve NATO.
You will recall Secretary-General Robertson said that somebody is going to have to deal with this problem, and only the US can do it. France is clearly trying to destroy NATO, in favor of the EU.
France is trying to define its role in the world by its opposition to almost everything the US proposes. Very few of these things are of an important, substantive nature. Rather, they reflect a consistent policy of opposing the US, instead of reflecting any set of principles or any philosophy.
As Colin, Condi and I discussed over the weekend, there is no question but that we are going to have to start moving more things into the Defense Planning Committee rather than the North Atlantic Council (NAC), since the NAC includes France and the Defense Planning Committee does not.
Respectfully,
Attach.
13 February 2003 CIA memo to SecDef in response to questions about France, 388209ID 2-03
Another document from the Rumsfeld Papers at rumsfeld.com
October 23, 2002 2:06 PM
SUBJECT: Illustrative List of Recent Examples of French Opposition to the United States
France objected in NATO to force the ISAF issue back to the Military Committee, so that NATO would not be allowed to help Germany and the Dutch in taking the leadership of ISAF until further meetings.
Missile Defense: France refused to allow MD options to even be discussed at a NATO Committee meeting last week.
Galileo: France has been and is still actively working with EU countries to get them to agree to overlay Galileo over US military frequencies, to our detriment.
France is opposing permitting NATO to work on civil emergency planning.
NATO Response Force: The French MoD spoke against the US-proposed Response Force when talking to the press after the Warsaw ministerial, saying it “couldn’t be out of area,” “had to be approved by the UN” and “couldn’t preempt.”
International Criminal Court: France is systematically threatening NATO and EU aspirants that France would oppose them getting in NATO or EU if they cooperated with the US on ICC and signed Article 98 agreements, and is working to get the EU to support their position.
France is aggressively opposing the US-proposed resolution on Iraq in the UN.
France continues to push for an EU force in Macedonia without first achieving a NATO/EU agreement.
France is continuing to block NATO multi-national cooperation on AWACS.
France refuses to cooperate fully with US efforts to capture PFWICs in the Balkans.
France continuously favors Arafat and inhibits US efforts to weaken him.
And still more.
DHR:dh
102202-13
Why was France opposed to the United States?
Is anyone paying attention to the subtle bashing of the French contribution, in Libya, on MSM in the US? Enough to stir the dander!
@ Fred….yes, I’ve noticed this too. These are people who choose not to believe that France has taken a leadership role in this affair, preferring to fall back upon negative and false stereotypes to assuage their egos. Fact is…if tomorrow French troops would captured OBL alive, there would still be French-bashing in the US. Teaching these anti-French baiters a truth would be like trying to teach a fish to ride a bicycle.
You have shed a ray of shunisne into the forum. Thanks!
@ Fred
Hi, I can’t understand how to add your site in my rss reader. Can you Help me, please 🙂
Anya Tikka – I was born and grew up in Finland and orange beads for decorating created jewelry.it is still important to take some time to enjoy a date night with your partner