France Raises Alarm Over Iraq Chaos

PARIS (Reuters) - France expressed deep concern on Thursday over the future of Iraq (news - web sites), saying prisoner abuses, the seizure of foreign hostages and persistent violence showed the country and region were spinning out of control.

"It all gives the impression of a total lack of direction," Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told Le Monde newspaper in unusually tough comments about Iraq under U.S.-led occupation.

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Barnier, due in Washington on Friday to meet U.S. officials, reaffirmed that France would not contribute troops to any peacekeeping force in Iraq and renewed his call for the U.S.-led occupying force to hand over full sovereignty to the Iraqis.

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Barnier said the difficulties of the U.S.-led coalition only demonstrated the importance of adhering to international law, respecting human rights and seeing armed force as a last resort.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&e=17&u=/nm/iraq_france_dc

make sense? I mean all he did was to uphold "the importance of adhering to international law, respecting human rights and seeing armed force as a last resort", but it is so true and so simple. It reminds me of what John Lennon told David Bowie, about how easy it was to write a rock song; "You say what you mean, make it rhyme, and put a back beat to it." Good government and effective foriegn policy is equally simple - adhere to international law, respect human rights, and keep armed force as a real last resort. The rest is just details.

:kick:

Link from Don's dupe:

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAJQUK07UD.html