France says U.S. must give power to Iraqis

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0468298.htm

PARIS, Sept 4 (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said a U.S.-proposed U.N. resolution on Iraq must give Iraqi authorities real power to run the oil-rich country's economy.

Villepin, a leading figure in the French-Russian-German that opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, said the United States should rapidly hand over civil and financial control to the provisional Iraqi administration -- headed by U.S. diplomat Paul Bremer -- and set elections soon.

"We must quickly transfer to the current Iraqi authorities the reality of power, that is to say the civil and financial administration of the country," Villepin told the daily Le Figaro in an interview due to be published on Friday.

He added that the multinational force sought by Washington in the new United Nations resolution should serve the Iraqi authorities.

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[David Zephyr]

1. Bush, Powell, Cheney and Rummie Have No Negotiating Chips

We lost the War in Iraq.

It's time that all of us here at the DU begin to use those words in our conversations.

The military that Bush "inherited" from Bill Clinton won the early battles, but George W. Bush lost the War.

Spread the word...it's the truth.

[underpants]

2. And some French co.s already had relationships with the Iraqis

as did Halliburton but given the relationships before the war (and especially now) the french co.s will move right in.

W gets PLAYED again. We'll see.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Enraged_Ape]

4. B-but returning power to the Iraqis was what the war was about...

right? I mean, that's what 300 or so Americans died for, wasn't it?

Then I'm sure there will be no problem with our doing this.
/sarcasm off

[jamesinca]

5. The U.S. is not willing to let go of the power

That has been a point of contention all along with the U.N. It must be a free Iraq, like the WH said. The WH has said they will not allow a theocracy, they will not allow certain types of governments etc.. But they also say that they want Iraq to be run by Iraqis how the Iraqis want. They will not give up the power to the Iraq people, I feel, because they may install a govt. that is not a puppet to the U.S.

[kentuck]

6. Should Democratic Party agree with France or Bush on this one ?

I think they should come out publically on the side of the French...