G8 harmony shattered, as France and US duel over Iraq

[Spazito]

SEA ISLAND, United States (AFP) - The United States and France clashed again over Iraq (news - web sites), sparring over NATO (news - web sites)'s role in the occupation, one day after soothing their dispute on post-war strategy with a new UN resolution.

Diplomatic hostilities reignited at the Group of Eight summit, after Bush, emboldened by the Security Council green light for his bid to remake Iraq, went on the offensive, calling for a greater NATO presence in the country.

snip

Facing a knife-edge reelection battle, Bush wants to ease the plight of US troops, many of whom are reservists or on extended tours as they battle a vicious insurgency.


But French President Jacques Chirac, reprising his role as Bush's chief antagonist over the Iraq invasion last year, erected an immediate rhetorical roadblock on the highly secured private island hosting the summit.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=afp/g8_summit

[On the Road]

1. Ooooh! Fight! Fight!

The gloves are off -- major penalties will be issued!

What a dork Bush is -- he can't even WIN without rubbing it in everyone's face and insisting on getting even more. Serves him right to be shot down.

[Cocoa]

2. when France was cooperative with Bush

the whores spun it that they expected Bush to win in Nov.

Now, will they say they expect Bush to lose? Of course not.

[Mnemosyne]

3. All I can say is, Go Chirac!!

[Trajan]

4. Chirac isnt the problem ....

The UN isnt the problem ...

Even the 'US' isnt the problem .... (WE are the 'US' .. )

BUSH is the problem ....

Rumsfeld is SoD ? .... BUSH is the problem !

Cheney is a conniving sonofabitch ? ... BUSH is the problem !

Wolfowitz is a lying sack ?? ... BUSH is the problem !

Perle, Feith, Shulsky, Libbey, Adelman, Kristol, ASSKKKroft and the WHOLE LOT of scumbag frauds .... ALL installed as agents or mouthpieces of THIS deeply fraudulant regime placed in the WH ...

BUSH is the problem !
BUSH is the problem !
BUSH is the goddamned problem !

GET HIM OUT OF THERE: and the whole bunch goes along ...

[donhakman]

5. Sait coming

[struggle4progress]

13. Yes, indeed!

[WarNoMore]

19. Amen! n/t

[CaptainClark23]

6. J.C. sez: hold it right there, mon petit arbuste....

[catzies]

9. Great phrase! "mon petit arbuste!"

I love it!

[SidDithers]

10. Parlez à la main parce que le visage n'écoute pas!

High school french was a long time ago..

Sid

[Spazito]

7. I love the headline phrase "France and US duel over Iraq"....

it is so "old Europe", it is perfect. Could it be a double hit on bush in a headline? lol

[happyending]

8. tell me who is really running Iraq

quote from the article -

The United States is pushing for up to 90 percent to be canceled but countries like France, Russia and Canada unwilling to go so far.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) is ready to cancel 65 percent of the Iraqi debt and is also linking the move to the ability of his country's businesses to operate in Iraq, a Russian official said.

He quoted Putin as telling US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) that "our flexibility will depend on yours and the capacity of our businesses to work in Iraq.
-----------------------------

Tell me again about the new "fully sovereign" Iraqi government.

[Cronus Protagonist]

11. Despite the politics, I doubt Chirac has revised his position

Because nothing has substantially changed in Iraq.

(this is an actual quote)

[cliss]

12. What's the old saying....

Give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile.

It never ceases to amaze me how out of touch these people are. They are absolutely THE most criminal, mercenary, aggressive group of "leaders" I have ever seen.

I just shudder at how much trouble this bastard has brought the leaders of other countries. As if they didn't have enough to worry about, now they've got to figure out how to keep the US on a short leash.

I wonder if they don't entertain thoughts of ............

[hippiegranny]

14. this is sure to trigger a whole new "hate france" frenzy

led by the "liberal" media, and aimed at the willfully ignernt 'murkans who are voracious for this type of 7th grade food fight (metaphorically speaking.)

[dArKeR]

15. You've got to look at this pic! Someone post it please!'The eyes of Satan'

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/photo/2004/06/10/2003137865

[Spazito]

16. ROFL! bush's expression is priceless!

Edited to add:

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, right, kisses first lady Laura Bush's hand as US President George W. Bush, center, looks on as dignitaries arrive for the social dinner at the G8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia, on Tuesday.
PHOTO: REUTERS

[PROGRESSIVE1]

18. .

[dArKeR]

24. Even PIckles looks weird!

Thanks for posting!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

17. I wonder what the "librul" media will say now.

Yesterday they said that Bush has shown that he can work with the world and today the world kicked his honky hide!!!

[daleo]

20. Bush didn't get much out of the U.N. anyway

They sort of agreed to look the other way until early 2006, but made sure that Iraq got at least the fig leaf of partial control over military action in the country (U.S. is expected to "cooperate" with the Iraqi government). Nobody promised any troops to the occupation forces, though, which is the main thing. Giving until 2006 allows Kerry a year to disengage from Iraq, which is probably why the powers like France went along with that timetable.

So, I don't think Bush really got anything - they were paving the way for a Kerry administration, giving him some wiggle room. This may be what Kerry was alluding to, when he mentioned having the support of world leaders.

Of course, all this assumes Kerry will be elected and won't let PNAC get to him, and make him get greedy.

[dusty64]

21. Gee, I guess this takes the

shine outta our regime's stunning UN victory the other day. To hear the media whores tell it, everything is getting better and better.

[dArKeR]

22. Africa crashes rich nations' party

Stephen Collinson | Sea Island, Georgia

Group of Eight (G8) leaders on Thursday issued a day pass for their rich nations club to counterparts from Africa, on the last day of an annual summit clouded by new transatlantic squabbles.

Often criticised as paying little more than lip service to poverty, trade woes and HIV/Aids in Africa, G8 giants were to lunch with leaders of Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.

But South African President Thabo Mbeki lamented that his continent seemed to have been included for the fifth year in a row at the G8, as an afterthought.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=67708&t=1

[LiberalCat]

23. So, bush wants NATO to clean up his mess in Iraq.

So typical. Babs and Poppy made him -- why don't they clean up his mess (again)! They could send the BFEE members (including the twins) to do any fighting and spend their trillions rebuilding Iraq.