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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation '[T]here's no question for us, I repeat, of sending French military into that country', French Minister of Defence Michele Alliot-Marie on NATO's Iraq training force, September 23, 2004'NATO/IRAQINTERVIEW GIVEN BYMME MICHELE ALLIOT-MARIE,MINISTER OF DEFENCE,TO "EUROPE 1"- EXCERPTS -', September 23, 2004. Q. - NATO agreed last night to send instructors to Iraq to train Iraqi army officers. Will you confirm that France won't send any soldiers to Baghdad to train them? THE MINISTER - There won't be any French military in Baghdad. The solution in Iraq is in the first place a political solution. The Iraqis must genuinely feel they have regained their sovereignty; seeing more foreign military uniforms on the ground won't encourage this. It doesn't mean that we won't contribute to Iraq's reconstruction, but we won't do it on Iraqi territory. Q. - So there will be no presence, no active involvement of France at the military level in today's chaotic situation in Iraq? THE MINISTER - Precisely. We think there are things to do to help in that country's reconstruction and we are ready to contribute to them. We have in fact already made a number of proposals, but there's no question for us, I repeat, of sending French military into that country. (...)./. Source: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.diplomatie.fr. © 2003 The Acronym Institute. |