France has changed strategy on Iran. Again. No more frets, alarms, or warnings. No more urgings. No more waving France's middling nuclear stick. No more French pique for now.

Now it is French valentines for Iran.

IRAN'S REFERRAL TO UN IS NOT PUNITIVE: DOUSTE-BLAZY

PARIS March 10, 2006 (AFP) - The decision to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme is "political" not "punitive," French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Friday.

"Our aim has been political, not at all punitive," he told French radio RTL.

There is nothing like dulling what little edge there was to the feeble UN referral to put everyone at their ease.

"The hand is being held out, negotiations are possible," he added, also reiterating Tehran's right to peaceful nuclear activity to generate power.

This is the very same tireless French hand held out from last August. We wonder, could anything -- even a nuclear-armed Shahab-6 whistling up France's fanny -- damp the indefatigable Pollyannaism of France?

Douste-Blazy again urged Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, which could be used for both civil and military ends.

"Iran must respond fast, and come back to reason," the minister said.

Ha. The cunning French minister will soon have M. Ahmadinejad responding fast.

Meanwhile, as M. le Ministre, the feckless EU3, and the equally feckless UN wait another 6-12 months for Iran's fast response, the busy Iranians stay busy.

IRAN BUILDS A SECRET UNDERGROUND COMPLEX AS NUCLEAR TENSIONS RISE

WASHINGTON March 10, 2006 (Telegraph) - Iran's leaders have built a secret underground emergency command centre in Teheran as they prepare for a confrontation with the West over their illicit nuclear programme... The underground strategy is partly designed to hide activities from satellite view and international inspections but also reflects a growing belief in Teheran that its showdown with the international community could end in air strikes by America or Israel.

As the United Nations Security Council prepares to discuss Iran's nuclear operations this week, Teheran has been stepping up plans for confrontation. Its chief delegate on nuclear talks last week threatened that Iran would inflict "harm and pain" on America if censured by the Security Council.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardline president who has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map", also said that the West would "suffer" if it tried to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. As the war of words intensified, President George W Bush said that Teheran represents a "grave national security concern" for America.

"The price to the West for standing up to Iran is clear," Gen Moshe Ya'alon, the former Israeli defence chief said last month in Washington. "It includes terror attacks, economic hardship… and consequences resulting from fluctuations in Iranian oil production. Indeed, the regime believes that the West - including Israel - is afraid to deal with it."

If not for the tireless extended hand of France, the Iranians might think themselves pitted against a resolute world.

PFFT (What is this?): Confuse-a-cat diplomacy 5 | Making the world safe 0 | Making the world safe for France 0 | Rayonnement français 0

Yeah, after the EU3 got hoodwinked, as noted in your post below, I’m not sure that talking will do much good for the West.

Request:
Damian, how about your analysis of Dominique de Villepin and the "youth labor law".

Coverage in papers here in DC has not been much on this....a few items on riots at Sorbonne is all. Thanks.

@Andy

Bonjour,

J'irai me promener à la Sorbonne demain , mais je ne crois pas Andy que vous iriez vous promener dans votre colonie irakienne demain ,ni dans un an
...

So M. AB/AY is off for a stroll to the Sorbonne. Hhmmm, that would make him either a student or a policeman. Pave wishes him a healthy constitutional.

Good luck to withering rioting burning silly France.

DGB