<

French Minister Blasts Washington's Foreign Policy As Bush Tours Asia
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Islam Online & News Agencies

"We understand the anger of the United States after the September 11 attacks," said Josselin, "but American leaders should control it and refrain from letting it guide their foreign policy."

BEIRUT
Another French minister blasted U.S. foreign policy in an interview published Wednesday, calling it "Texas-style diplomacy" and saying that law and not force should govern international relations, news agencies reported.

Charles Josselin, minister for overseas cooperation, was commenting in the Arabic-language daily Asharq al-Awsat on Washington's sharp reaction to recent criticism by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Josselin said the U.S. response was because Vedrine had "touched a sore spot". He added that after the September 11 attacks, "there was a danger of Washington justifying its excesses and use of force by its right to defend itself."

"It is Texas-style diplomacy," Josselin said, referring to the home state of U.S. President George W. Bush, famous for its cowboys.

"France for its part considers that the logic of law and not that of force should govern international relations," he added.
(More: Islam-Online.com News Source)
2002 © Islam Online.

Dan