NEW YORK (AFP) - More than a year after falling out with the United States over the Iraq war, France is still a prime target for the rage of Republicans, who are not showing much amour for the longtime US ally.

Democrat John Kerry may be enemy number one but France is a close number two at the chest-thumping Republican national convention, where the word Paris is code for weakness, indecision and international cooperation.

"Senator Kerry has made it clear that he would use military force only if approved by the United Nations ," Senator Zell Miller said in a thundering address to the party faithful on Wednesday.

"Kerry would let Paris decide when America needs defending. I want Bush to decide," he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Throughout their four-day gala, Republicans have painted President George W. Bush as the man to trust for national security after September 11 -- and Kerry as a dangerous appeaser.

They have ridiculed his recent talk about a more "sensitive" war on terror, hammered him for trying to vote both sides of issues in the Senate and lambasted his remarks at forging international consensus for US war plans.

"Senator Kerry denounces American action when other countries don't approve, as if the whole object of our foreign policy were to please a few persistent critics," Vice President Dick Cheney said in his speech Wednesday.

"He talks about leading a more sensitive war on terror, as though Al-Qaeda will be impressed with our softer side," Cheney said.

But a delegation of half a dozen members of France's ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), here to observe the convention, played down the repeated barbs at France.

"You can't take too seriously what you hear in a convention," said Philipe Briand, a UMP member of the French parliament.

"If you are a little sensitive, you come away somewhat angry," Briand said. "But if you know it's just part of the campaign, it's no big deal."

France helped lead opposition to the Iraq war on the UN Security Council, which set off an orgy of French-bashing nationwide last year.

Bottles of champagne were emptied into sewers, French cheeses went unsold on store shelves and angry US politicians called to rename America's favourite snack "Freedom Fries."

After it emerged during the presidential campaign that Kerry spoke the language, he reportedly stopped giving interviews with foreign media in French, for fear of giving the Bush camp more ammunition.

The connection between anti-French anger and Kerry's policy statements, which sometimes do not sound much different than what comes out of the French government, has been an easy one for critics to make.

"Just a few months ago, John Kerry kind of leaked out that claim that certain foreign leaders who opposed our removal of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) prefer him," former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani told the convention this week.

"That raises the risk that he might well accommodate his position to their viewpoint," he said.


Giuliani went on and attacked several European nations for their positions on terrorism, taking Italy to task for its handling of the Achille Lauro ship hijacking in 1985.

That may have been a bit of a faux pas -- Italy is now one of the staunchest US allies on the war on terror, robbing Republicans of at least one European nation to target with scorn and abuse.

But they shouldn't worry: they'll always have Paris.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040902/pl_afp/us_vote_republicans

By Robin Mishra
Tribune staff reporter

September 2, 2004, 6:32 PM CDT

NEW YORK -- They are all known as conservatives in their countries. Most of them consider tax cuts good for the economy and gay marriages bad for the protection of family values.

So the international observers from center-right parties all over the world should be natural allies of George W. Bush. But some of the foreign conservatives who traveled to New York for the Republican National Convention say it was this President who made life harder for them at home.

Worse, both Germany and France were at times belittled or insulted during GOP convention speeches or even by delegates, which left other foreign observers mighty miffed.

"When Germany was mentioned at the convention, it happened in a very derogatory way," observes Philipp Missfelder, chairman of the youth organization of Germany's conservative parties. He says he was "shocked," considering the importance American-German relations have for his party.

Given the strong ties between the U.S. and its allies, friends are likely to remain friends. But a number of observers expressed hope Bush would try to rebuild the Atlantic alliance and other foreign ties if he wins a second term. What America does has a huge impact in their countries.

When the U.S. plans for the Iraq war became obvious in the summer of 2002, German conservatives in the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) were in the middle of their national election campaign and running well ahead Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder from the Social Democratic Party. But things changed quickly.

While Schroeder opposed the war in Iraq, the German conservative leaders were on Bush's side. When the election was held, the Social Democrat won four more years in office.

Still in opposition at home, the German observers in New York heard the name of their country twice in the convention speeches.

First, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticized Germany for giving in to terrorists when it released Palestinian militants who were involved in the killing of nine Israelis at the Munich Olympics of 1972.

Then, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said predictions of 20 years ago stating Germany could overtake the U.S. in economic power had proven "ridiculous." Tremendous booing also erupted when Schwarzenegger mentioned the United Nations.

It was another blow when the Bush administration announced just two weeks ago it would cut substantially its 70,000 troops in Germany.

Observer Christian Schmidt, the conservatives' speaker for defense policy, said this decision raises "the potential that NATO is weakened." Schmidt said he was "concerned" about the future of the transatlantic alliance.

"When we form a coalition of the willing, we cannot just serve as a toolbox for American interests," he said.

Nevertheless, Peter Hintze, speaker of the CDU/CSU for European policy, hopes transatlantic relations will improve if Bush is reelected in November. "Europe is the natural partner of the U.S. in terms of values," he claimed.

But when a Republican delegate from California talked to German Christian Democrat Johannes von Thadden, he joked, "We do not like the Germans, but we hate the French."

In the convention speeches, "French" seemed to be used as a synonym for cowardice and unreliability. What did this mean for Stéphane Seigneurie of the conservative UMP, the political force behind President Jacques Chirac?

"I was not shocked by this. It is just the campaign. It is not important," said Seigneurie. He said he understands well that people who are in favor of the war in Iraq express strong support for President Bush and not too much affection for Paris.

The French observers were in New York to "expand our amities," Seigneurie added. For him, the relationship between the two countries already has improved within the last few months "because George Bush saw in Iraq that it is not possible for him to do the job just by himself and just with United States troops and United States money."

The Popular Party (PP) of Spain was hoping for reelection when on March 11 Al Qaeda killed more 191 people with 10 bomb blasts in the capital of Madrid. Some days later, the party lost power to the socialists of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Spanish voters were seen as having punished conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar for being a loyal ally of Bush in the Iraq war.

Ana Palacio, the former foreign minister of Spain, still declares herself "very proud" of having supported the United States in Iraq. For her, the U.S. foreign policy needs not a change in substance but "better explanation."

At the same time she blames the Europeans themselves. They had to realize the war on terrorism was not "a fancy thing" invented by the Americans, she said. But Palacio also realizes public opinion in her country did not go the same way.

Foreign conservatives outside Europe also had some concerns at the convention.

Among the countries forming a coalition of the willing in Iraq was South Korea. In 2003, the conservative opposition party, GNP, joined President Roh Moo-Hyun in sending 600 military engineers and 100 medics to the war zone. But the South Koreans do not feel rewarded for their contribution.

Jin Park, GNP member of the National Assembly in Seoul, said he was "concerned" the U.S. planned to reduce its 37,000 troops in his country by one-third.

"We think it is too soon and too much," Park stated. "We would like to maintain our existing partnership with the United States, and this requires a very close political dialogue between the political leadership of the two countries."

Independent of their nationalities, the delegates from abroad were impressed by the drama of the convention and the well-crafted speeches. Some said that here in New York, they better understood the nature of the threat that has given Americans the feeling of being a nation at war.

Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune

"In the convention speeches, "French" seemed to be used as a synonym for cowardice and unreliability. What did this mean for Stéphane Seigneurie of the conservative UMP, the political force behind President Jacques Chirac?

"I was not shocked by this. It is just the campaign. It is not important," said Seigneurie. He said he understands well that people who are in favor of the war in Iraq express strong support for President Bush and not too much affection for Paris."


Nos conservateurs Srakorzien sont vraiment des idiots. Leurs haussements d'épaules sont preuve d'aveuglement mais sont aussi complètement inefficaces: dans une cour de récréation le souffre douleur se fait insulter tant qu'il ne riposte pas. Le jour ou il rend coup pour coup, ses camarades se calment. Nos pro-américains hantés par la peur de passer pour des anti-américains sont incapables de répondre comme il le faut aux américains anti-français qui le resteront tant que ça ne leur coutera rien.

in english please ! :)

Manuel tu n'es pas toujours aussi pointilleux sur le langage ;)

Lol, les "cons" ils portent bien leur diminutif.