THE AMBULANCE CHASERS ON PARADE:

Anti-War Front Collapses as Iraq Gold Rush Begins (Erik Kirschbaum, Apr 15, 2003, Reuters)

They couldn't prevent the war, but that hasn't stopped the "Non-Nyet-Nein" coalition of France, Russia and Germany from staking their individual claims to a role in shaping, and profiting from, the new Iraq.

Even before the fighting stopped, the three European powers were moving to build bridges to the United States and Britain to ensure their companies get a share in rebuilding the infrastructure in Iraq.

France says it wants to be pragmatic, Germany says it is an honest broker because it has no economic interests in Iraq, and Russia says it will consider Washington's call to forgive some $8 billion in Soviet era debt.

All three have sounded conciliatory in the past week, while saying they want to see the United Nations play the lead role in post-war reconstruction -- tactics widely seen as an effort to avoid being locked out of business deals by the United States.

To paraphrase the Sage of Baltimore: No one ever went broke underestimating the principles of the French, Germans, and Russians. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 15, 2003 5:32 PM