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Friday, Jun 04, 2004

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France awaits supplicant Bush

By Vaiju Naravane

Having endured insults and humiliation from Washington this past year, the French are aware their hour has come.

JUST DAYS before the United States President, George W. Bush, arrives in France to participate in the 60th anniversary ceremonies of the allied forces' D-Day landings in Normandy that liberated France from Nazi occupation, the French are trying hard not to gloat over the U.S. climbdown over Iraq. But howsoever straight a face the French would like to keep, they cannot quite hide their satisfaction at being vindicated.

All their dire predictions about what would come to pass if the U.S. invaded Iraq have been borne out by events. There is more terrorism today, not less. No weapons of mass destruction have been found. Iraq is in ruins and runs the risk of civil war. The Iraqis detest the American-led coalition and the U.S. has never been as unpopular globally as it is today, particularly in the Middle East.

When the U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, taunted France and Germany describing them as the relics of an "Old Europe" or Colin Powell suggested they were cowards who suffered from a "fit of the vapours," France's Gallic pride suffered. Ostracised, insulted by America's leaders and the public (gallons of French wine was poured into the street, France was dubbed the Republic of Weasel with French fries re-baptised Freedom Fries by U.S. lawmakers, while the French were called "cheese-eating surrender monkeys"), France nevertheless refused to retaliate in kind, conducting itself with calm and dignity. President Jacques Chirac insisted all along that his country continued to be a U.S. ally, and that true friendship between equals also implied speaking the truth, expressing doubts and differences.

Now with Mr. Bush himself coming here, cap in hand so to speak, seeking Mr. Chirac's assistance to help him get out of the Iraq quagmire, the French, looking like the cat that licked the cream, are finding it difficult to suppress their smiles.

This time around, it was Mr. Bush who called his "friend" Mr. Chirac, expressing the desire that the two countries work together over Iraq, Catherine Colonna, the French presidential spokeswoman, was quick to point out. Mr. Bush described his conversation with Mr. Chirac as "excellent" saying they both shared similar views and aims!

Mr. Bush is obviously going to use the 60th anniversary of D-Day to apply some emotional blackmail on the French. He is expected to refer to the sacrifices made by American soldiers who died in their thousands on the beaches of Normandy in order that France and the rest of Europe could be liberated from the Nazis. He is also expected to liken the war against Saddam Hussein to the action against the Nazis. But the French are having none of that.

In a pre-emptive move, France has upped the ante by objecting to several clauses in the new draft United Nations Security Council Resolution circulated by Britain and America. Already under pressure from the anti-war lobby made up of France, Germany, Spain, Russia and China, the coalition partners have made significant changes in the draft. But the French, on sure ground now, are not willing to sign off on a document that does not completely reflect their position. Mr. Chirac and his Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier, slapped down Washington's pleas for French troop participation in Iraq by saying curtly that France would not send soldiers: "Not now, not later." France had so far refrained from taking such an unequivocal stand, having hinted in the past that it could be part of a NATO force were such an idea to be mooted.

France, convinced the U.S. is seeking international approval for its plans for Iraq without actually giving up control over the country, is determined to foil such a move.

Having endured insults and humiliation from Washington this past year, the French are aware their hour has come. Mr. Bush desperately needs U.N. cover in Iraq for his re-election campaign and Paris is determined to get its pound of flesh.

The irony that Mr. Bush should be the guest of honour at the D-Day celebrations is not lost here. The former Socialist Prime Minister, Laurent Fabius, said: "The paradox of this particular 6th of June is that Mr. Bush who will receive the homage paid to `fighters for freedom' is the exact antithesis of all that we like and admire about America."

Besides the pomp and ceremonies at British and U.S. cemeteries in Normandy, there will be intense discussions in Paris on Iraq between the 17 heads of state and government who will be present here. For the first time ever, Germany has been invited, underlining the strong links that now bind Paris and Berlin.

The negotiations in Paris will continue into the G-8 meeting in Georgia next week followed by the Euro-U.S. summit and France is determined to milk these occasions for whatever they are worth.

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