Jinn of Current Events

W.F. Deedes (The Daily Telegraph): If we're seeking lessons from the past to help us deal with Saddam Hussein, then the way we dealt with Mussolini's conquest of Abyssinia in 1935 is — as the Prime Minister understands — the place to look. Then as now, France and sundry pacifists played an ignominious role. 

Christophe de Margerie, head of TotalFinaElf's exploration arm, insists that TotalFinaElf has an edge: We have long experience in Iraq, we have had access to key officials and data, which gives us a large advantage over our competitors. That's right, a long history of cooperation with Saddam's "key officials" is seen as an advantage in France. A bit like someone claiming that they're well positioned to profit from a post-war Germany, because they've been helping Hitler and key Nazis to murder six million Jews.

In the coming two years, at least, all major economic decisions in Iraq will be made by Americans acting in the name of the US government. Here's a more rational perspective: Put yourself in the position of someone in a leadership position of a democratic Iraq. Why would you want to have commercial relationships with countries that wouldn't help liberate Iraq to begin with? said Barry Worthington, executive director of the U.S. Energy Association in Washington. In other words, TotalFinaElf has no chance, because they have had such cozy access to key officials of Saddam's evil regime. 

Le Monde has published an anti-american, anti-semitic cartoon, where an American soldier (Rumsfeld? Bush?) is asking Sharon: I would like to occupy territories that aren't mine! Can you give me some advice?

Are there any limits to French indecency? Le Monde is one of the most "serious" and "respected" newspapers in that country. I supose they also objected to US occupation of Germany after the liberation of France.