THE VELVET GLOVE...

Bush says "Vive la France" on road to G8 summit (Reuters, 5/29/03)

Declaring "Vive la France", U.S. President George W. Bush said in an interview to be published on Friday he hoped a G8 summit would restore battered relations between Washington and Paris in the wake of the war in Iraq.

Bush, interviewed by the French daily Le Figaro ahead of the June 1-3 Group of Eight summit in Evian, France, also said Paris needed to show it was ready to cooperate with Washington.

"Evian will not be a summit of confrontation. On this trip I am determined to work with France and French leaders," Bush was quoted as saying."It will be a pleasure to talk with Jacques Chirac," he said, adding in French: "Vive la France" (Long Live France). [...]

Bush was asked in the interview whether Washington would take retaliatory action against Paris for an anti-war stand that prevented Washington from getting U.N. approval for the invasion that toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein.

"My citizens did not understand the decision of French leaders to systematically block the efforts of the United States and her allies to secure the liberty and security of Iraq. Yet, this negative behaviour will not influence my policies with regard to France and Europe," he said.

...hides an iron fist. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 29, 2003 8:06 PM