Topic: Iraq
Strange doings in Washington - an attempt to simultaneously severely punish the French for being such miserable fools, and to convince them to be good folks and help us out. No wonder they are puzzled by it all.
James A. Baker fixes things for the Bush family.
The Bush family assigned Baker the task fixing the mess in Florida when the vote count was in dispute in the last election. He did. He led the legal team that worked the issue all the way through the US Supreme Court. He got the job done.
Now he has been given the task of jawboning the countries that are owed money by Iraq into either forgiving or generously restructuring Iraq's debts.
See Bush Sending Baker to Iraq to Deal With Its Debt Problem
Maria Newman, New York Times, December 5, 2003
And who are those states? Right up there are France, Germany and Russia. The Paris Club list (PDF format) has them ranked.
So? What's the problem?
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has just signed a directive barring French, German and Russian companies from competing for the $18.6 billion of Iraqi reconstruction contracts for "the protection of the essential security interests of the United States."
See U.S. Bars Iraq Contracts for Nations That Opposed War
Douglas Jehl, New York Times, December 9, 2003
A bit of a challenge for Baker? I'd say so.
Don't these guys talk to each other?
Stick it to 'em but good.
And sweet talk 'em into writing off ten or twelve billion dollars.
That'll work.
If you were the French diplomat assigned to talk with Baker when he comes calling, what would you say? You could be outraged. You could giggle. Or you could sigh and do your best to be civil and diplomatic.
Posted by Alan at 19:50 PST
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Updated: Tuesday, 9 December 2003 20:18 PST
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