Bruni, Sarkozy and French Diplomacy
Syria Halts Contacts With France on Lebanon
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Syria says it is ending contacts with France on Lebanon’s political crisis, days after France announced a similar move against Damascus.
Syria’s foreign minister, Walid Muallem, said Wednesday that Damascus has suspended working with France to resolve the political deadlock in Lebanon.
On Sunday, President Nicolas Sarkozy said his government was cutting contact with Syria until he has proof that Damascus is willing to let Lebanon choose its president by consensus.
Syria says French officials are blaming Damascus for their own failure to solve the deadlock, where Lebanon’s pro-Western government faces opposition parties backed by Syria and Iran.
Last week, Lebanon’s parliament postponed a presidential vote for the 11th time.
Lebanon has been without a president since November 23 because of the deadlock between its government and opposition.
02 January 2008
French and Syrians talk as Lebanon crisis drags
Mon Dec 31, 2007
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis
France to Cut Off Contact With Syria Over Lebanon
By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
30 December 2007
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The president of France says he will have no further contact with Syria until he is convinced that Syria is really trying to resolve the political crisis in neighboring Lebanon. He spoke on a visit to Egypt. VOA Middle East Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.
Mr. Sarkozy was speaking to reporters in Cairo after meeting with his Egyptian counterpart.
He said, “The time has come for the Syrians to prove what they have been proclaiming in talks.” He said he is expecting action from Damascus, not just talk.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since late November, when the last president’s term expired. The two main political factions have agreed in principle on a successor, army chief Michel Suleiman, but the vote to elect him has been repeatedly delayed as the two sides fight over political issues.
Syria is a key backer of the Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah, and the French leader called on Damascus to exert its influence in pressing for an end to the crisis.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also called on Syria to help resolve the Lebanese political crisis. He said it is not possible for a country to remain without a president for months.
He said, if this situation continues, it could lead to grave consequences. He said Syria has no choice but to try to resolve it.
The Egyptian leader also said Egypt is trying to deal as quickly as possible with a problem that has developed along the Egyptian border with Israel and the Gaza Strip, where some 3,000 Hajj pilgrims are stranded in Sinai trying to get back to their homes in Gaza. Egyptian authorities want them to cross through the Aouja border post, which is controlled by Israel, rather than the Rafah border post. Mr. Mubarak said the authorities’ concern is that the pilgrims would be able to carry prohibited items into Gaza through Rafah. Israel believes some Hamas members are trying to smuggle in cash.
The French president met with Mr. Mubarak at the end of a five-day Egyptian holiday with his new girlfriend, the Italian model and singer Carla Bruni. They spent most of their time in Luxor and the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The vacation has sparked controversy both in Egypt and at home in France.
French opposition parties have criticized Mr. Sarkozy for allowing a wealthy businessman friend to pay for parts of his trip, including flying him to Egypt in a private plane. Some Egyptian newspapers have also said that the French leader should not have been allowed to stay in the same hotel room with a woman he is not married to, a practice that is frowned on in conservative Egypt.
President Sarkozy dodged questions about his holiday, saying he would deal with them when he returns to Paris.
This Carla Bruni graphic and video are included as the originals accompanying the reports require prior approval and aer not worth that much trouble or expense. This picture is preferred, here, although there are probably better ones but this one is currently relevant. France is on the anti-smoking fad and Bruni is hanging with Sarkozy and she apparently smokes. Plus the anti-smoking thing annoys this blog. That free markets are not allowed to determine if a business can survive by allowing their customers to smoke is the real issue. The nanny state mentality is the problem. It’s like the lawsuits years ago to allow membership in private clubs to those who would not otherwise meet the membership requirements. The argument being there should not be exclusions to membership. Makes as much sense as allowing non-veterans to be members of a veterans organization or atheists to be members of a church.
Just a little added rant inspired by the latest news from France. But ya gotta love this French news. First Sarkozy says the French will cutoff talk with Syria. Then his chief of staff calls Syria. A report says all the French and Syrians are doing is talking. Then the Syrians say they’re cutting off talks with the French. No wonder nothing gets done. At the same time some of the French are not pleased with Sarkozy’s ‘companion’. She smokes and the French just decided to adopt a nanny state position and ban smoking in a cafe.