Raoul,

I don't really care what the French think because their current leader is a liar and hypocrit. Don't go there if you want to have any impact on my opinion or the majority of Americans. I don't trust American politicians much, but trust the French not at all and I think that is a common feeling. When Chirac acts like it is the duty of allies to speak their conscience then threatens new EU members for doing the same it should be obvious conscience has nothing to do with his motives. Since you have never been able to admit that I don't trust your ability to judge his motives at all.

First and foremost the Americans are in part responsible for Saddam. I believe Algieria is a French mess which surprise surprise they seem to feel no obligation to clean up. Secondly you belong to the memory lapse club about GW1. None of the other counties you mentioned has provided so much justification for intervention.

North Korea has not invaded its neigbor and could easily overun its major population center if hostilities were initiated. It's threats to its neighbors and treatment of its people are close to the magnitude of Iraq, but it's a whole lot trickier and, while I'm sure its difficult for you to grasp that more good than harm rule of mine, putting Seoul at risk represents a significant downside. North Korea may yet be dealt with but it clealry requires a more extended period of diplomatic activity although maybe not as long as Iraq had.

The French requirements on UN involvement are the same as they have always been, more contracts directed their way. If they were truly concerned about fairness they would simply request an open bid process. It also appears that the US/UK record of building democracies is better than the French. Germany, Japan, and to some extent Eastern Europe come to mind for the US. The US, Canada, Australia, and India are British successes or at least partial successes in the Case of India. Want to claim any for the French? Maybe Martinique or Tahiti?

A lot of people in the US idealize Israel for the same reason they can't grasp the separation of church and state conscept. "It's what the bible says". I'm not one of them, but I will never condone the tactics the Palestinians use. Killing noncombatants is not guerilla war, it is terrorism. If the militant Palestinians were better than murderers they would be exclusively attacking troups rather than civilians. If they were truly concerned about their own people rather than power they would not be trying to keep them in poverty to provide a steady supply of hopeless suicide bombers. Any criticism of Israel no matter how accurate in part that does not take into account the atrocities of the Palestinian militants is a bogus analysis. I am quite sure there are a lot of Palestinians who want peace just as there are a lot of Israelis that do. They have the wrong leaders and they are the only ones that can change that.

Regards,
Mark