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France's Chirac: UK won nothing from Bush support
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-16 10:13
French President Jacques Chirac said in a newspaper interview on Tuesday that
Britain has gained nothing from its support for the United States-led invasion
of Iraq.
Chirac said he had urged Britain before the invasion to press President Bush
to revive the Middle East peace process in return for London's support.
"Well, Britain gave its support but I did not see much in return," Chirac was
quoted as saying in the Times. "I am not sure that it is in the nature of our
American friends at the moment to return favors systematically."
Blair's staunch support for Washington over Iraq led to bitter divisions
within his ruling Labor Party and dragged down his public approval ratings.
Chirac, who will hold talks with Blair when he makes a state visit to Britain
on Thursday, recalled a Franco-British summit last year when he asked his
British counterpart to try to influence U.S. policy on the Middle East.
"I said then to Tony Blair: 'We have different positions on Iraq. Your
position should at least have some use'. That is to try to obtain in exchange a
relaunch of the peace process in the Middle East."
Chirac questioned whether Britain could act as a bridge between the United
States and Europe to help heal the rift that developed over the Iraq war. France
and Germany were among the most vocal opponents of U.S. military action to oust
former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"I am not sure with America as it is these days that it would be easy for
someone, even the British, to be an honest broker," Chirac was quoted as saying
in the Times.
Blair said on Monday that Europe and the United States should bury their
differences over Iraq and focus on global challenges such as lasting peace
between Israelis and Palestinians. "It is not a sensible or intelligent response
for us in Europe to ridicule American arguments and parody their political
leadership," Blair said in his major foreign policy speech of the
year.
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