France weighs in on the turmoil in Lebanon

[shortski]

France weighs in, who do you think they have a better chance of talking into surendering? I think this calls for a poll.

France also expressed concern at the escalation.

"I am very concerned about the latest developments on the Israel-Lebanon border," French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said in a statement.

"I condemn the rocket strikes this (Wednesday) morning on the town of Kiryat Shmona. I also condemn the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers and I ask for their immediate and unconditional release," he said.

"I call on all parties to show restraint and not engage in a cycle of violence in which civilian populations would be the first victims," he said.

He said France is in contact with all parties involved to help seek a solution to the crisis.

[XtremeJibber2001]

French - all talk, no action.

[Cityskier]

French - all talk, no action.

All action, no talk has worked out very well for 2500+ of your contemporaries. Bet there mom's and dad's would have preferred a little more diplomacy if they had it to do over again.

[XtremeJibber2001]

French - all talk, no action.

All action, no talk has worked out very well for 2500+ of your contemporaries. Bet there mom's and dad's would have preferred a little more diplomacy if they had it to do over again.

I talked to several of my buddies who have served in Iraq or are currently serving ... I've even spoken to many of their companions. You'd find their opinions to be more or less aligned with mine. You might be surprised how much 'action' one can do with actually being physically engaged, but that must have slipped Chirac's mind ... maybe yours too?

Although, the difference being my buddies are still alive ... and a small sample of a enormous deployment.

I can't tell you what the patriots over there would have said if they were here today ...

[BigKahuna13]

The Poles are nothing like the French. The Poles were the only group to stand up to Hitler during WWII. Where the Austrians and Czechs folded under the threat of invasion and the French and Brits sat on their hands the Poles actually fought back - although they were doomed from the start.

France's attitude is understandable. How many times was their country turned into a battlefield? Suspect we'd act the same way if one or two
major wars - using modern weapons - were fought on our land and our
people used for target practice by the hundreds of thousands.

[shortski]

The Poles are nothing like the French. The Poles were the only group to stand up to Hitler during WWII. Where the Austrians and Czechs folded under the threat of invasion and the French and Brits sat on their hands the Poles actually fought back - although they were doomed from the start.

France's attitude is understandable. How many times was their country turned into a battlefield? Suspect we'd act the same way if one or two
major wars - using modern weapons - were fought on our land and our
people used for target practice by the hundreds of thousands.

The AndyZ option was tongue in cheek, I am aware of the Polish resistance to the Germans and more recently to the Russians. You could be right about France and we might sing a different tune if it was us, but all the more reason to do what we're doing now, fight them on their home ground not ours IMHO.

[BigKahuna13]

You could be right about France and we might sing a different tune if it was us, but all the more reason to do what we're doing now, fight them on their home ground not ours IMHO.

At least you're humble in your mistaken-ness.

[shortski]

You could be right about France and we might sing a different tune if it was us, but all the more reason to do what we're doing now, fight them on their home ground not ours IMHO.

At least you're humble in your mistaken-ness.

Because my opinion differs from yours does not necessarily mean it's mistaken just different. Would you suggest we do nothing until we're attacked again? What would you suggest as a better means. You aren't French are you?

[BigKahuna13]

You could be right about France and we might sing a different tune if it was us, but all the more reason to do what we're doing now, fight them on their home ground not ours IMHO.

At least you're humble in your mistaken-ness.

Because my opinion differs from yours does not necessarily mean it's mistaken just different. Would you suggest we do nothing until we're attacked again? What would you suggest as a better means. You aren't French are you?

Sicilian. We've been successfully invaded by just about everyone. Think Bermuda even invaded us once. On the other hand we like knives and
are pretty good with them when we aren't sitting in a field somewhere drinking wine with a pretty girl, which is our preferred way of passing time.

Dunno. Guess the first thing I would've done was point my guns at the right people. Or in the this case keep them pointed at the right people
instead of shooting up a bunch of innocents and pissing off a boatload of people who weren't particularly pissed off at me in the first place.

[shortski]

Dunno. Guess the first thing I would've done was point my guns at the right people. Or in the this case keep them pointed at the right people
instead of shooting up a bunch of innocents and pissing off a boatload of people who weren't particularly pissed off at me in the first place.

Not going to debate my position on our current involvement, I've stated it before, but your naive if you don't think Iraq was looking for ways to get to us, the final report of Congress mentions the head of security of Iraq meeting with members of Al-queda and they discounted it as unimportant. I believe the planned assassination of Bush SR. is reason enough for us to take them out but if thats the reason so state it.

[Cityskier]

the final report of Congress mentions the head of security of Iraq meeting with members of Al-queda and they discounted it as unimportant. I believe the planned assassination of Bush SR. is reason enough for us to take them out but if thats the reason so state it.

[BigKahuna13]

Not going to debate my position on our current involvement, I've stated it before, but your naive if you don't think Iraq was looking for ways to get to us, the final report of Congress mentions the head of security of Iraq meeting with members of Al-queda and they discounted it as unimportant. I believe the planned assassination of Bush SR. is reason enough for us to take them out but if thats the reason so state it.

If you're going to throw out tired old and discredited ideas like the Iraqi/Al-Qaeda meeting, it wouldn't be much of a debate anyway. Even if it did happen - and as I recall it was single sourced, unverified information -
that's not even close to proving a conspiracy.