France Was Ready to Send (15,000) Troops to Iraq, Book Says

[gauguin57]

But, apparently, Bush let the relationship with France sour because Jacques Chirac kept talking about Bush's father all the time (which, as we know, drives the incompetent, resentful son CRAZY). So, Bush allows French assistance to slip away, and then his administration spends a year and a half trashing the French! Unbelievable! Read to the end of this WP article ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-adv/advertisers/popunders/dnc_wp_july2.html

France Was Ready to Send Troops to Iraq, Book Says

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 6, 2004; Page A18

"French officials were prepared to provide as many as 15,000 troops for an invasion of Iraq before relations soured between the Bush administration and the French government over the timing of an attack, according to a new book published in France this week.

"The book, "Chirac Contre Bush: L'Autre Guerre" ("Chirac vs. Bush: The Other War"), reports that a French general, Jean Patrick Gaviard, visited the Pentagon to meet with Central Command staff on Dec. 16, 2002 -- three months before the war began -- to discuss a French contribution of 10,000 to 15,000 troops and to negotiate landing and docking rights for French jets and ships.

"Chirac knew Bush's father, former president George H.W. Bush, well, but that relationship actually proved to be a distraction for the current president, according to the book, which says that Bush was annoyed that Chirac kept mentioning his father at every occasion. For months, French diplomats asked Chirac not to refer to Bush's father when he met the president, but he kept doing it. ..."

[Cerridwen]

1. That's okay..we got Poland..they sent 2500 troops....n/t

[gatlingforme]

4. ROTFLMAO. good one.

[Terry_M]

2. Link

The link provided points to an ad, here's the article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9709-2004Oct5.html

[kerryin2004]

3. Your link gives me a dnc ad..

Not that I dont appreciate it, but I would like to read the article.

[ixion]

5. I say that media should all start talking about 41

and then watch as 43 melts down. :evilgrin:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Yeah and Rummy calling them OLD EUROPE helped no doubt

This is a great way to make Kerry's point that we would have more cooperation without the bull in the China shop of diplomacy.

[krkaufman]

7. "relations soured ... over the timing of an attack"

Just unbelieveable.

[jayfish]

8. Props To wardunn28

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x986363

Jay

[aquart]

9. 15,000 from our oldest ally. That was so kind of them.

And we scorned them. There aren't apologies adequate enough.

[Forkboy]

10. better than nothing,no?

yeah,let's scorn them...Bush agrees :eyes:

[Flagg]

15. 15000 is twice as much as the Brits

How many people does it take to blow off some 10 year old Iraqi children's arms anyway ?

[Strawman]

11. This ought to make them hesitant to bring up France

15,000 troops that will have to be replaced with stop loss orders... Damning evidence of diplomatic incompetence and recklessness. Bush is really psychologically unable to think about anything beyond his own needs and ego.

[Forkboy]

12. Nothing stops Francophobes

see post #9's attempt at sarcasm.

[Az_lefty]

13. This sounds just like the "boy wonder". Living in daddy's shadow.

:nopity:

[democracyindanger]

14. LINKY BROKEY

You pasted the URL for the popunder ad that appears with the article.

[gauguin57]

16. Sorry about the link ... by the time I realized it was messed up,

I couldn't edit it anymore.

Thanks to those who put in the correct link.

But please tell all your friends about this. I can't contain my outrage -- not that we should have been in Iraq anyway, but if France had sent troops, others might have sent troops, and we might not be in the big mess we're in.

And all because Junior is a pale imitation of his daddy (who's a pale imitation of a human being) and can't stand it. GOD I'm so mad!

[thecrow]

17. What a surprise ending (not!)

and....
White House officials declined to comment.

Why am I ROFL so much today?
:crazy:

[gauguin57]

18. Kickin' for the night shift.

I think this is an important story!

[54anickel]

19. Weird, I can't get to the article - keeps going to the DNC ad instead. n/t

[gauguin57]

20. Here's the right link (it's listed above as well ... see my explanation

on earlier post -- I screwed up and couldn't edit it).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9709-2004Oct5.html?sub=AR

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

21. And France has had troops in Afghanistan from day one

France committed about one-fourth of its navy and a total of about 5,000 men to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Its Air Force flew about 2,000 missions. Even now, they have about 600 men including about 200 Special Forces conducting operations alongside 300 British and additional American Special Forces in the southern part of Afghanistan. These men were serving alongside US troops while George and the Republican Congress were banning French fries from government cafeterias.