FRANCE ASKS WASHINGTON FOR IRAQ WITHDRAWAL TIMETABLE

November 15, 2006 (Paris Link) - Speaking on France 2 today, French Foreign Secretary Philippe Douste-Blazy* insisted on a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

(See the posts immediately below, here and here, for background.)

CHIRAC THANKS AMIR FOR MAKING FIRST EUROPEAN VISIT IN FRANCE

PARIS, November 30, 2006 (KUNA) - On the international issues discussed, [Chirac's spokesman Jerome Bonnafont] said "there was a very great convergence of view between Kuwait and France, in particular concerning the Near and Middle East."

KUWAITI EMIR URGES U.S. TO STAY IN IRAQ

November 30, 2006 (Forbes/AP) - A U.S. pullout from Iraq would prompt a civil war with global repercussions, the emir of neighboring Kuwait warned in an interview published Thursday.

... "In the current circumstances, an American withdrawal would in no way help bring back stability," Sheik Sabah, who is on a state visit to France on his first trip to Europe as ruler, told the daily Le Figaro.

"On the contrary, the situation would get worse, and we would experience a civil war of great intensity that the whole world would pay the price for," he said. His country would be among those to suffer from such a civil war, he added.

Some convergence. Apparently if you are within 180° of the French position -- voilà -- vous avez la convergence !

Here is who France is converging with:

IRANIAN PRESIDENT URGES AMERICANS TO DEMAND TROOP WITHDRAWAL

UNITED NATIONS November 29, 2006 (KABC-TV/AP) - Iran's president [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] urged the American people in an open letter Wednesday to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and reject what he called the Bush administration's "blind support" for Israel and its "illegal and immoral" actions in fighting terrorism.

* The dimmest bulb in the dark Chirac marquee™.

PFFT (What is this?): Iraqi convergence 0 | Iranian convergence 5 | Rayonnement français 0