Wednesday, February 19, 2003

French Public demands veto of US war resolution
"A public opinion poll published on Monday has 81 per cent of the French saying that if the United States ever introduces a pro-war resolution before the UN Security Council , France should definitely make use of its veto, and not simply abstain as President Jacques Chirac has suggested he might do.

"In the words of Jean-Luc Parodi, a public opinion specialist, "not only is a traditional form of (French) anti-Americanism, that has long been absent, seeing a resurgence among a minority of the French, the way, moreover, that the United States has handled the crisis has brought about new opposition (to the US) among the French."

"He goes on to quote respondents to the poll who noted that "it's not up to the Americans to tell the world what to do," that "the US is undertaking a war which concerns them but not us," and that "the Americans should be told they are not the masters of the world."

"Meanwhile, on Sunday French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, said "a second Security Council resolution that we understand is being prepared by the United States is completely unnecessary at this stage."

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