Another of Jack's enduring legacies will be how his government persuaded Iran to abandon weaponizing uranium. Oh. Sorry. That should read: Another of Jack's enduring legacies will be how his government gave Iran diplomatic cover for weaponizing uranium.

FRENCH BELIEVE IRAN IS AFTER NUKES: POLL

PARIS November 19, 2006 (AFP) - An overwhelming majority of French people suspect Iran wants a nuclear weapon and supports sanctions, according to a poll reported in le Parisien newspaper Sunday.

The research — conducted by the French public opinion poll institute SOFRES for the Representative Council of Jewish Organisations in France ([Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France] CRIF) — found that 81 percent of respondents said they thought the Iranian leadership intended to build a nuclear weapon. Only seven percent said they believe Tehran's claim that it does not want a nuclear weapon. The remaining two percent did not declare an opinion.

Asked "are you in favour or not in favour of the UN taking sanctions against Iran?" 79 percent said they were in favour and 12 percent said they were against.

Key Frenchies in government, strung along for years by a temporising Iran, show little urgency. None. Zippo. Nada.

Eighty percent of those questioned said they took seriously the threat by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to "wipe Israel from the map", while 42 percent took it "very seriously" and 38 percent "rather seriously".

Of course, not every Frenchie is convinced.

French diplomacy is founded on the sunny notion that events, opinions, luck -- history itself -- are sure to break in France's favor. The French public is less sanguine.

PFFT (What is this?): Not to worry 0 | Rayonnement français 0