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If I remember correctly, 2002 went something like this. Bush wants to invade Iraq. He wants to gather a 'Coalition of the Willing'. In search for his Coalition, Bush administration speaks about the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and Iraq's ties to international terrorism.
France and Germany, being European powers of some importance and parts of the Gulf War coalition, seem like prime candidates for the new coalition, but horror of horrors, they refuse to participate. Furthermore, they oppose the Iraq invasion in the United Nations, even though Colin Powell shows shoddy charts about Iraqi nuclear facilities. Gasp and shudder! Independent nations want to conduct independent foreign policy!
American conservatives ('Amcons') castigate and ridicule France and Germany, particularly France, as 'weasels', 'cheese-eating surrender monkeys', 'collaborationists' and such and predict that boy will France and Germany be ashamed when U.S. forces find mass quantities of primo nuke material just waiting to be assembled. Bush admin joins in with freedom fries, 'Old Europe,' and other similar anti-European rhetoric.
Come the 2003. U.S. invades Iraq and, predictably, kicks Saddam's ass. The primo nuke material fails to materialize. And U.S. had Colin Powell's shoddy charts, too! Bush admin pretty much admits that they were wrong about them nukes and blame the spooks.
Now, this would seem like the perfect opportunity for Amcons to say that hey, maybe France and Germany really had their reasons for not going along - but no. It's still cheese-eating surrender collaborationists this and Kerry the French-looking candidate that.
What gives?
France and Germany, being European powers of some importance and parts of the Gulf War coalition, seem like prime candidates for the new coalition, but horror of horrors, they refuse to participate. Furthermore, they oppose the Iraq invasion in the United Nations, even though Colin Powell shows shoddy charts about Iraqi nuclear facilities. Gasp and shudder! Independent nations want to conduct independent foreign policy!
American conservatives ('Amcons') castigate and ridicule France and Germany, particularly France, as 'weasels', 'cheese-eating surrender monkeys', 'collaborationists' and such and predict that boy will France and Germany be ashamed when U.S. forces find mass quantities of primo nuke material just waiting to be assembled. Bush admin joins in with freedom fries, 'Old Europe,' and other similar anti-European rhetoric.
Come the 2003. U.S. invades Iraq and, predictably, kicks Saddam's ass. The primo nuke material fails to materialize. And U.S. had Colin Powell's shoddy charts, too! Bush admin pretty much admits that they were wrong about them nukes and blame the spooks.
Now, this would seem like the perfect opportunity for Amcons to say that hey, maybe France and Germany really had their reasons for not going along - but no. It's still cheese-eating surrender collaborationists this and Kerry the French-looking candidate that.
What gives?
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