France says they are victim of US smear campaign

[renata]

Now I do not know much about diplomacy, but if ( and that is a big if) France wants to normalize relations with the US, I do not think that is the way to do it- particularly with this administration, which values loyalto so.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/15/bush.france/index.html

France says it is the victim of a smear campaign by the Bush administration, charging some U.S. officials are leaking false stories about alleged French complicity with the Iraqi regime.

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The French government lays out its claim in a letter written by the French ambassador to the United States, according to a French diplomat familiar with its contents.

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One U.S. official involved in national security matters said the French claim was baseless.

"There are a lot of things we don't like, and we have not been shy about that," said the U.S. official. "But there is no campaign against the French."

...

In his letter, French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte cited eight examples of what he describes as proof of a deliberate U.S. campaign to spread misinformation about the French government. CNN has obtained a copy of the list, which accompanies the letter.

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Among the stories cited by the French:

• News reports, quoting administration officials, suggesting France might have sold weapons to Iraq in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

• A Washington Times story reporting U.S. intelligence sources had received information suggesting French officials in Syria were helping members of the Iraqi leadership escape the U.S. military by issuing French passports to them. (Excerpts from the list)

"The passport story had them really hot," said a senior U.S. official. "They delivered passionate, heated and repeated denials that any such thing was occurring."

The official said there was no evidence of the French issuing such passports, and noted the White House never said there was any such evidence.

On the day of the Washington Times story, however, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer suggested reporters would be better served asking the French whether they provided passports to Iraqi officials.


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A link to the 8 stories and rebuttals on each from the French. The scary part is that I heard most of them, and now I do not know who to believe- neither government has high credibility as far as I am concerned.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/15/french.list/index.html

 

[Jim_MDP]

This will all blow over.

For decades, they have painted us as "ugly Americans", yet we provide the bulk of their tourism revenue.

I'm not terribly concerned, and someday will even return. In the meantime..."Suck eggs, froggy.'

 

[Martin]

For decades, they have painted us as "ugly Americans", yet we provide the bulk of their tourism revenue

Which is probably why they have painted you as 'ugly Americans'

 

[Segnosaur]

This will all blow over.

I have to agree...

Remember a few years ago, when the French were testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific (while everyone complained)? People were boycotting french wine back then too, and wine makers in France complained. The market eventually came back.

 

[ceo_esq]

Should we offer them some Brie with that whine?

 

[Flo]

Should we offer them some Brie with that whine?

No, thanks, you wouldn't know how to age it correctly, nor recognise a well aged one ... and I suspect you would pick the wrong whine to go with it

However, I agree that those complains are perfectly ridiculous. Who do they think they are kidding ? Not many French believe the main motive of our government for opposing the war stem from virtue and that France's hands are any cleaner than USA's or UK's in the way the Middle-East countries and problems have been handled.

 

[Frostbite]

CNN... hehe.