[A-List] France: le cop-out

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

French try to repair relationship with US

Politicians fear over poll showing 1 in 4 backs Saddam

Jon Henley in Paris
Thursday April 3, 2003
The Guardian

Leading French politicians, apparently seeking to rebuild bridges with
Washington, warned yesterday against mounting anti-Americanism in France and
stressed that the US remained one of the country's most valued allies.

The government spokesman, Jean-François Copé, said France hoped the regime
of Saddam Hussein would fall, adding that the country's high-profile
anti-war stance was motivated neither by pacifism nor anti-Americanism.

"Naturally, we hope for the end of Saddam Hussein's regime," Mr Copé said.
"There is no complaisance - ever - with regards to the Iraqi regime."

His comments echoed those of the prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who
said on Tuesday that France's opposition to the war "does not mean we want
dictatorship to defeat democracy. The Americans are not enemies." He added:
"We must be vigilant against all forms of anti-Americanism."

The mollifying new tone reflects official concern that France's robust
anti-war stance could be construed as anti-Americanism abroad and at home,
leading to even greater tension after the war is over - and possibly
sparking violence in France's depressed and Muslim-dominated inner-city
housing estates.

A survey published this week in Le Monde showed that while 78% of the French
opposed the war on Iraq, 53% of them still hoped the US and Britain would
defeat Saddam Hussein. But fully 33% did not want an allied victory and 25%
said they were on Iraq's side.

In a particularly worrying incident, vandals spray-painted insults and
anti-war slogans on monuments and walls at the British first world war
cemetery in Etaples, northern France, last month. The graffiti included:
"Dig up your rubbish, it's contaminating our soil" and "Saddam will win, and
he will make you bleed". The local MP, Jack Lang, said he was disgusted.

Concern has been heightened by the number of Iraqi flags and posters of
Saddam being brandished at demonstrations across France.

France, which led international opposition to the Bush administration's
march to war, faces a tricky diplomatic task in trying to repair badly
damaged relations while not appearing to backtrack on its anti-war stance.

The defence minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, laid out the new approach
earlier this week, saying on a visit to Macedonia - where French, American
and British soldiers are working side by side - that "our differences are on
the way to being mended".

She added: "We have separated Iraq from the rest. And even on Iraq, we have
limited our disagreements. We agreed on the aim: disarmament of Iraq; we
disagreed on the calendar. Now we will reach agreement again on the post-war
objectives of reconstructing the country."

Domestically, however, interior ministry advisers have warned of possible
anti-American flare-ups in the troubled suburbs of France's big cities,
largely peopled with immigrants from former north African colonies who are
sympathetic to the Arab cause.

"Television images of dead and wounded Iraqi civilians are increasing the
tensions," an adviser said. "It will only need a small spark for this
anti-Americanism in the suburbs to explode into possibly violent attacks
against classic US targets like McDonald's."

Police sources said the Disneyland attraction outside Paris had been placed
under heightened surveillance.