i imagine that paul wolfowitz will be doing a bit of grovelling for forgiveness after this:
President Bush found himself in the awkward position on Wednesday of calling the leaders of France, Germany and Russia to ask them to forgive Iraq's debts, just a day after the Pentagon excluded those countries and others from $18 billion in American-financed Iraqi reconstruction projects. White House officials were fuming about the timing and the tone of the Pentagon's directive, even while conceding that they had approved the Pentagon policy of limiting contracts to 63 countries that have given the United States political or military aid in Iraq.
maybe when you try to screw your allies over, you should coordinate it so you do it after you get what you want from them. there's a fine art to the double-cross. especially when you are telling them that not only can they not make any money in iraq, but that they should give up any money owed to them as well.
maybe bush could have just given them the knife and let them stab themselves in the back.
naturally, the response was a bit unpleasant. canada doesn't seem likely to pledge more money for reconstruction, and russia immediately declined to let go of any debt. hell, the eu is checking to see if the us violated any wto commitments.
we are, truly, the great uniters.
Posted by kilgore at December 10, 2003 10:35 PM | TrackBack