French perfidy
The United Nations' Oil-for-Food scandal has been a topic of some discussion of late, except for the editorial pages of the Times and the Post. Most notably, Claudia Rosett, writing in The Wall Street Journal, has shown us Turtle Bay as it truly is.
In April, Rosett told us this program "allowed Saddam to filch at least $10 billion, peddle influence possibly with the U.N." She has been unrelenting in reporting on this scandal, and her suspicions have been confirmed by the CIA.
With the issuance of the CIA's Duelfer Report, the media is all atwitter over it. Many of them are breathless in outrage, not over Chirac and Hussein's Oil-for-Blood program. Nah, that's no big deal. Duelfer confirmed what David Kay already told us, and that's Big News.
Much has been made of its findings by both presidential candidates. Senator Kerry has focused on the fact that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction, he only foolishly pretended like he did. And President Bush has focused on the fact that Saddam's intended to acquire WMD once UN sanctions were lifted.
For myself, I did care not one jot or tittle if Saddam Hussein had WMD or not. Operation Iraqi Freedom was a just war to end a war that did not end with the carnage on "Highway of Death."
For 12 years, American and British pilots had flown thousands of combat missions over the sovereign nation-state of Iraq, we had destroyed numerous Iraqi military sites, we had launched scores of cruise missile attacks. If that is not WAR, then what is it?
Professor J.D. Roberts, History of the World, saw the Gulf War as an extension of the conflict resulting from the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. If Roberts' historical judgment is correct, then the ripples in the pond of history continued long after he died.
Livy taught us the Punic Wars did not end when Carthaginians were driven from Sicily, or when Hannibal's army was driven from Italy, but when Rome destroyed Carthage. Rome and Carthage fought for 42 years during a span of 118 years. Rome understood implacable foes, we do not.
Many globalized, channel clicking Americans scream "quagmire" if a war lasts more than 100 hours. In the Gulf War, we ceased killing Iraqis 100 hours after we launched our ground offensive. In the Kosovo War, we bomb the Serbs for 11 weeks and they capitulated.
In Operation Enduring Freedom, we defeated the Taliban in two months, but we heard "quagmire" screamed on the op-ed pages of the NY Times one month into the campaign. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, we defeated Saddam Hussein's army in 6 weeks, but we heard "quagmire" screamed on the op-ed pages of the NY Times, three weeks into the campaign.
There just ain't no pleasin' some folks, for they expect our wars to be neat and very quick. Beyond dispute, the "pecking hens," the Dullard Dowds of the world should be hurled from the Tarpeian Rock.
Some have seized on the true gem of the Duelfer Report. We were told Saddam's strategy was to "influence certain UN SC permanent member such as Russia, France, and China ... to end UN sanctions." Imagine that!
In 2003, prior to our invasion of Iraq, when the United States was seeking a Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force, many suspected the French were trading oil for Iraqi blood. The Duelfer Report tells us this is true. C'est la vie!
No one should be surprised the Chinese were actively engaged in thwarting our actions in Iraq, for they are not our friend or ally. The Russians have only recently become our so-called friend, so no one should really be surprised by their actions. However, the French have been our traditional ally since our War of Independence, yet the perfidy of the French should surprise no one.
During the Kosovo War, it was widely reported, in the Washington Post and elsewhere, the French were providing NATO targeting data to the Serbs. But we just shrugged and said, "C'est la guerre."
Two thousand years ago, Livy taught us Hannibal thought the Gauls were perfidious by nature. Five hundred years ago, Machiavelli re-affirmed Livy's judgment by offering additional examples to prove this harsh criticism. Amusingly, Machiavelli, The Discourses, tells us the French act more like women then men in war (Book III, Chapter 36). Sacre bleu!
In 1966, twenty-two years after American troops allowed Charles de Gaulle to march into Paris as conquering hero, he withdrew French troops from NATO. For 40 years, France has tried position herself as a counterweight to the American "hegemon." Should anyone be surprised by the perfidy of the French?
Professor AJP Taylor, Struggle for Mastery in Europe, documents well the 19th Century balance of power politics the French played so well. Does anyone believe Gaullist France is different today than it was 100, 500, or 2000 years ago?
Jacques Chirac's Oil-for-Blood scam proved France is not an ally or friend of the United States.
In April, Rosett told us this program "allowed Saddam to filch at least $10 billion, peddle influence possibly with the U.N." She has been unrelenting in reporting on this scandal, and her suspicions have been confirmed by the CIA.
With the issuance of the CIA's Duelfer Report, the media is all atwitter over it. Many of them are breathless in outrage, not over Chirac and Hussein's Oil-for-Blood program. Nah, that's no big deal. Duelfer confirmed what David Kay already told us, and that's Big News.
Much has been made of its findings by both presidential candidates. Senator Kerry has focused on the fact that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction, he only foolishly pretended like he did. And President Bush has focused on the fact that Saddam's intended to acquire WMD once UN sanctions were lifted.
For myself, I did care not one jot or tittle if Saddam Hussein had WMD or not. Operation Iraqi Freedom was a just war to end a war that did not end with the carnage on "Highway of Death."
For 12 years, American and British pilots had flown thousands of combat missions over the sovereign nation-state of Iraq, we had destroyed numerous Iraqi military sites, we had launched scores of cruise missile attacks. If that is not WAR, then what is it?
Professor J.D. Roberts, History of the World, saw the Gulf War as an extension of the conflict resulting from the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. If Roberts' historical judgment is correct, then the ripples in the pond of history continued long after he died.
Livy taught us the Punic Wars did not end when Carthaginians were driven from Sicily, or when Hannibal's army was driven from Italy, but when Rome destroyed Carthage. Rome and Carthage fought for 42 years during a span of 118 years. Rome understood implacable foes, we do not.
Many globalized, channel clicking Americans scream "quagmire" if a war lasts more than 100 hours. In the Gulf War, we ceased killing Iraqis 100 hours after we launched our ground offensive. In the Kosovo War, we bomb the Serbs for 11 weeks and they capitulated.
In Operation Enduring Freedom, we defeated the Taliban in two months, but we heard "quagmire" screamed on the op-ed pages of the NY Times one month into the campaign. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, we defeated Saddam Hussein's army in 6 weeks, but we heard "quagmire" screamed on the op-ed pages of the NY Times, three weeks into the campaign.
There just ain't no pleasin' some folks, for they expect our wars to be neat and very quick. Beyond dispute, the "pecking hens," the Dullard Dowds of the world should be hurled from the Tarpeian Rock.
Some have seized on the true gem of the Duelfer Report. We were told Saddam's strategy was to "influence certain UN SC permanent member such as Russia, France, and China ... to end UN sanctions." Imagine that!
In 2003, prior to our invasion of Iraq, when the United States was seeking a Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force, many suspected the French were trading oil for Iraqi blood. The Duelfer Report tells us this is true. C'est la vie!
No one should be surprised the Chinese were actively engaged in thwarting our actions in Iraq, for they are not our friend or ally. The Russians have only recently become our so-called friend, so no one should really be surprised by their actions. However, the French have been our traditional ally since our War of Independence, yet the perfidy of the French should surprise no one.
During the Kosovo War, it was widely reported, in the Washington Post and elsewhere, the French were providing NATO targeting data to the Serbs. But we just shrugged and said, "C'est la guerre."
Two thousand years ago, Livy taught us Hannibal thought the Gauls were perfidious by nature. Five hundred years ago, Machiavelli re-affirmed Livy's judgment by offering additional examples to prove this harsh criticism. Amusingly, Machiavelli, The Discourses, tells us the French act more like women then men in war (Book III, Chapter 36). Sacre bleu!
In 1966, twenty-two years after American troops allowed Charles de Gaulle to march into Paris as conquering hero, he withdrew French troops from NATO. For 40 years, France has tried position herself as a counterweight to the American "hegemon." Should anyone be surprised by the perfidy of the French?
Professor AJP Taylor, Struggle for Mastery in Europe, documents well the 19th Century balance of power politics the French played so well. Does anyone believe Gaullist France is different today than it was 100, 500, or 2000 years ago?
Jacques Chirac's Oil-for-Blood scam proved France is not an ally or friend of the United States.
posted by Tony Harrison at 9:06 PM
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