Jack, an unreformed blabbermouth, is outraged that the press should report what he says.

CHIRAC SLAMS FRENCH TV FOR EAVESDROPPING

Let us begin by remarking that when the press reports what a public figure says in public it is not "eavesdropping". Please resume skimming.

HELSINKI September 11, 2006 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac criticised French television channels on Monday for airing his conversation with Spain's prime minister about Lebanon on the sidelines of the ASEM summit here.

"They were words which I was careless enough to utter without realising that they were being purely and simply stolen," Chirac said at a news conference at the Europe-Asia summit in Helsinki. "One does not have the right to use this kind of things in such a frivolous manner on subjects which can have consequences of the lives of men and notably of Frenchmen."

We might add that where talk has life-and-death consequences for the lives of men and notably Frenchmen, it is incumbent on the speaker to be cautious and circumspect. What Jack was overheard saying to Sr. Zapatero:

"In my opinion there won't be any problem for two or three months because Hezbollah is a little weaker. ... But in three, four, five months it could be dangerous. I am a little worried for the future."

This is hardly privileged shop talk. Nor is it some dark secret. What has Jack pissed is that he has been caught speaking the truth about Hizballah, which is against established French policy.

PFFT (What is this?): Reporting what Jack says 5 | Reporting what Jack says to report 0 | Rayonnement français 2½