French in bed with Iraq

[mrskippy]

History Channel had a thing on TV today about when the Israelis bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981. It had some interesting background on how the French (and Italians too) provided Saddam with the materials (including the all important reactor).

In return France would get a much needed and steady stream of oil. The two nations basically had a strong bond and apparently still hold it to this day, with oil being a key motivator.

Experts the History Channel talked to said there is no doubt about Iraq's nuclear ambition. One of the men in charge of the project for Iraq has since defected. He said the facility was to build a nuclear weapon, with the key target being Israel.

Of course, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike on Iraq after diplomatic efforts failed. Interesting to see how long diplomacy was attempted and balked at, especially by -- the French. Israel, in turn was lambasted by the UN and the United States (including President Reagan). The only one to openly support the move was Secy. Of State Alexander Haig who told Reagan that he would one day be on his kneed thanking God the Israelis did what they did.

Now we want to do what Israel did and launch a strike. The UN again is useless and the French are leading the charge just as they did in the late 1970s.

From my understanding France gets some 90 percent of its oil from Iraq. So there is a clear motivation there to avert war and remain diplomatic and friendly with Iraq. If Hussein lives up to his billing and blows up the oil fields the French are doomed. And if we takeover Iraq with oil fields intact, you can rest assured the French won't see one drop of that oil if they aren't on our side and assist in the effort.

I was also shocked to learn the Germans still have an embassy in Iraq and maintain diplomatic relations with its government. Weren't diplomatic relations supposed to be pulled in 1990-91? I assume France, Russia, and China maintain embassies there too.

Isn't it kind of tough to support a war with your allies? This only leads to the question, since all four are -- in one way or another --our allies, who is their greatest friend? The West or Iraq? By all indications of their behavior, I'll say Iraq.

At this point, it's clear that UN approval is never going to happen, since there are four vetos from Iraqi allies. Therefore we should launch a strike against Iraq and wait it out. My guess is those four allies will quickly join the fight -- against Iraq.

[Bee]

From my understanding France gets some 90 percent of its oil from Iraq.

I believe it's 48%.

[andy m]

that's a mighty big bed. i bet it's comfy.

[sachmo71]

I'll bet that bed smells funky.