Not Your Sweetie

France Denounces U.S. and Its Allies
PARIS, March 17 -- French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin denounced the
United States, Britain and Spain today for planning to wage war against Iraq,
saying such a conflict ran counter to international opinion and risked "serious
consequences" for the Middle East and the world.

De Villepin issued the forcefully worded written statement this evening, hours
before President Bush was scheduled to deliver a television address on Iraq. The
minister reaffirmed the French position that war was not justified now because
U.N. inspections were effectively disarming Saddam Hussein's government.

"A wide majority" of the 15 members of the Security Council support the French
stance, de Villepin said. The United States, Britain and Spain were resorting to
force "despite the clearly expressed will of the international community," he said.

(snip)

In the diplomatic battle of words with America, de Villepin jabbed back at Bush for
a poker metaphor he used in the Azores. Bush had said France's veto threat
meant it had "shown its card."

De Villepin, speaking in English, said, "I think this expression is unfortunate,"
Reuters reported. "I don't think we can compare war to any kind of game. It's not
a game," de Villepin said.