Chirac to hold urgent talks on Lebanon

[tocqueville]

By CHRISTINE OLLIVIER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 44 minutes ago

PARIS - President Jacques Chirac will interrupt his vacation Wednesday for urgent talks with his prime minister, defense minister and foreign minister on the Israel-Hezbollah fighting and France's diplomatic efforts to end it, his office said.

The meeting comes as diplomatic efforts to end the violence are faltering amid Arab and Lebanese objections to a U.S.-French draft U.N. Security Council cease-fire resolution.

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy will travel to Toulon for the meeting. Chirac has been vacationing in nearby Fort de Bregancon since last week.

Discussions will focus on "the situation in Lebanon and the diplomatic activities under way, with a view to achieving a cease-fire," the president's office said Tuesday in a statement.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060808/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast_fighting_france;_ylt=AgNX.Cp1nH.Qkumvc9mN.BuBzdAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

[scarletwoman]

1. Such a clown show. If he were serious, he would be meeting w/LEBANONESE

ministers and government officials.

It is infuriating to me that Lebanon is being shut out while the "big boys" hem and haw and decide Lebanon's fate -- as if they have that right!

Fuck the "Western Powers" -- fuck all of them! First the U.S. was allowed to totally destroy Iraq, and now Israel is being allowed to totally destroy Lebanon!

This is BULLSHIT! The people of the world -- the common people who daily get slaughtered by the thousands all around the planet -- are going to have to rise up someday and say "enough!" The "leaders" of the world don't give a shit about all the rest of us human beings -- they have their grand designs, their geopolitical philosophies to experiment with. Meanwhile the bodies pile up and the blood runs in torrents.

People shouldn't have to put up with this shit. People shouldn't have to be at the mercy of the grand schemes of the Western World, never knowing if all of a sudden they could be bombed out of their homes because some mega-militarized state has decided that killing you and your family is "worth" its "strategic objectives". After all, nobody's killing the leaders who are making this calculation. (And THAT is highly unjust!)

People have GOT to rise up! There's more of us than there are of them. The leaders of the Western World are not fighting "a war on terrorism", the leaders of the Western World are conducting a war OF terrorism. They have taken nearly our whole planet hostage, and most of its people.

The root problem of terrorism is the state-sponsored terrorism of the Western World. Period.

sw

[scarletwoman]

2. Well, damn. I can't believe NO one else wants to comment on this. (nt)

[tocqueville]

3. Well at least France is trying and has the backup of Europe

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5257602.stm

EU support

The active French stance enjoys wide support in the European Union. Many leaders are frustrated or angry about what they see as America's culpable failure to advance the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians - the key element needed for the region's long-term stability.

Most Arab states would also welcome a bigger European say in the region's affairs.

Europe has also offered - yet again - to help rebuild Lebanon once the violence is over.

Informally, it is said that France might provide 5,000 troops for a multinational force of around 15,000 in southern Lebanon.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
If Chrirac is breaking his vacation it's because France considers that the situation is explosive.
I don't defend the man at any price, but give him at least the credit of trying to do something and
to counter the US policies.

[uppityperson]

4. That is good of France to do this.

Many people are frustrated or angry about what we see as America's culpable failure to advance the peace process between Israelis and Patestininans too. People who said, oh we can get through another 4 yrs of bush, pshaw.

[malaise]

6. France has more credibility

than all of the G8.

[malaise]

5. God news indeed

Here's the Security Council meeting and press conference with the Arab League rep.
http://www.un.org/webcast/index.asp

[scarletwoman]

7. k&r (nt)