To America or France, Sarkozy Must Break His Promise: Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alscace of France
Dec 7th, 2009 | 6 responses
As we have seen over recent days, the pressure on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to come out in favor the Obama surge is rapidly increasing – particularly after his proclamation to the French people that he “wouldn’t send another man to Kabul.”
Offering a glimpse of the French political terrain, Olivier Picard writes for France’s Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alsace in part:
“One way or another, France will have to choose between two positions: the one it gave to America or the one that it gave to the French. … Nicolas Sarkozy knows he can’t risk directly-provoking public opinion on such a major issue. A strong majority of French are clearly opposed to sending new troops to Afghanistan. So, 1,500 men … that would be enormous. It would be unacceptable for a country traumatized by losses, albeit limited, that it judges to have been in vain. Carried away by his temperament and emotion, the President took an enormous risk the day he promised that France wouldn’t send another man to Kabul. It was a politically-popular declaration hurled at the problem of a spontaneous revolt. A time bomb. … In the context of war, one pays dearly for such imprudence.”
By Olivier Picard
Translated By Juliet Fox
December 4, 3009
France – Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace – Home Page (French)
One way or another, France will have to choose between two positions: the one it gave to America or the one that it gave to the French. Even if the diplomatic code allows Nicolas Sarkozy to find an honorable way out that keeps up appearances, the president of the republic is in a tight spot. Here he is, back against the wall, forced to make a decision and headed for a wrenching choice like those that came before him, Jacques Chirac and Dominique de Villepin, when they were confronted with the Iraqi dilemma.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator and aggregator of foreign news and views about our nation.
6 Responses to “To America or France, Sarkozy Must Break His Promise: Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alscace of France”
France has been pummeled for so long from within and without that she cannot afford to be foolhardy and stupid in her strategic plans. Amazing that she survives as a nation at all really, considering her past. Something to admire really and also to look beneath as to the reasons why..
Au contraire, something not to admire.
WTF are you talking about?
France has been an independent nation state for over a thousand years, only once in that time period has the entire country been occupied by a foreign power, from 41 to 45. Today it's has a population of 60 million of which approximately 10% is not of European descent, the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world, the third or fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world and the third or fourth largest military in the world.
the French are one of the greatest nations on earth, with plenty for all to admire. In short, put a sock in it “dduck12″!!! It's high time the French reject anything to do with US militarism and imperial hubris. There's been enough of that in French history, which is certainly a part of the French civilization with little to admire.
put a sock in it “dduck12″!!!
Yeah, they should just reject us.
[...] As we have seen over recent days, the pressure on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to come out in favor the Obama surge is rapidly increasing – particularly after his proclamation to the French people that he “wouldn’t send another man to Kabul. …Read Original Story: To America or France, Sarkozy Must Break His Promise: Les Dernieres Nouvelles &… [...]