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No sanctions on France: Bush
May 30, 2003
US President George W Bush was "disappointed" by Paris' opposition to war in Iraq but he would not seek sanctions against France, he said today on the eve of a trip to Europe.
"I am looking forward to work with France to achieve common objectives," Bush said before his departure on a European and Middle East tour.
Asked whether he was still angry at French President Jacques Chirac, and would seek sanctions against France, Bush replied: "No, no. No sanctions - I'm not mad. I mean, I'm disappointed, and the American people are disappointed. But now is the time to move forward."
The US leader's remarks came in an official White House transcript of an exclusive interview with France's FR3 television network a day before Bush left for Poland, Russia, the G8 summit in France and a Middle East swing.
"Let us be realistic," Bush said. "There is a sense of frustration and disappointment among the American people towards the French decision" not to support the war against Iraq.
"The people did not understand the decision by the French leadership to thwart the desire by the Americans and others to work on security and freedom, security for our country and freedom in Iraq," he said.
Chirac's opposition to the Iraq war, including a threat to veto a second UN resolution explicitly authorising military action, enraged officials in Washington, who have privately and publicly said there would be consequences.
"But now is the time to move forward," Bush said. "And there's a lot of issues that we can work together on," Bush told the network, citing the fight against AIDS in Africa and lauding France's help in the war on terrorism.
"My decision is to go and to say to the French Government, 'Let's work together for an Europe which is whole, free, and at peace'.
"I want to compliment the French for joining in this fight against al-Qaeda. The French intelligence service have been very good to work with, and we've shared intelligence which has made France more secure and America more secure, and for that I'm grateful," he said.
Bush is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Chirac in the French spa town of Evian, where the French president is hosting the June 1-3 summit of seven main industrialised nations plus Russia.
"I will have a good discussion with Jacques Chirac and with others that did not necessarily agree with our Iraq policy," said Bush.
"I'm going to remind him, just like I'm going to remind a lot of people, that we can do a heck of a lot more together than we can arguing with each other," said the US president, whose only other scheduled face-to-face meeting is with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Bush and Chirac have not come face-to-face since the war in Iraq, though they have spoken on the telephone.
"I have work to do to convince sceptics in France that the intentions of the United States are positive," Bush said, "and the French leadership has work to do to convince the American people that they are concerned about the security of our country."
The US leader will leave the G8 summit early in order to travel to Egypt for a summit with Arab leaders, including his first meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas, and to Jordan for separate and joint meetings with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Agence France-Presse
[Oh the irony! A man who should be on trial for war crimes saying that he won't push for sanctions against a country that was against an unjust war. Anybody else feel like puking?]