February 01, 2007
Chirac: Open Mouth, Insert Foot
Hoo boy. Jacques Chirac said a few things to reporters on Monday, and a day later was calling those same reporters back to retract his comments, saying he should have been paying more attention to the fact that his comments were on the record.
What did he say that he didn't want published?
On Monday, Chirac said of Iran and its nuclear program: "I would say that what is dangerous about this situation is not the fact of having a nuclear bomb. Having one or perhaps a second bomb a little later, well, that's not very dangerous."
Instead, Chirac said, the danger lies in the chances of proliferation or an arms race in the Middle East should Iran build a nuclear bomb. Possessing the weapon would be useless for Iran -- whose leader has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" -- as using it would mean an instant counterattack.
"Where will it drop it, this bomb? On Israel?" Chirac asked. "It would not have gone 200 meters into the atmosphere before Tehran would be razed."
Now why on earth would he make such a ridiculous statement?
Alexander Pikayev, a Moscow-based defense analyst who is co-chairman of the Committee of Scientists for Global Security, told The Associated Press that Chirac's "incautious" remarks revealed "the mood of the French ruling elite."
"French leaders are afraid not so much of Iran's nuclearization, but that Iran will be attacked. France's tough position is not aimed against Iran becoming a nuclear power, but against the United States or Israel striking Iran," he said.
Pikayev added that France had fiercely opposed invading Iraq and now wants to avoid a similar scenario in Iran, having economic interests in that country and having a sizable Iranian and Muslim diaspora, which would not support a strike on Iran.
Perhaps France isn't worried about Iran procuring the bomb, but any other world leader with an ounce of sense is. But the French have had their heads in the sand so long that the sand is starting to work its way into their brains...so comments like this really shouldn't come as a big surprise.
It should be a relief to all that Chirac isn't expected to seek re-election, but heaven only knows who will replace him.
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