Why Chirac Loves To Bash Bush

(CBS)  Tom Fenton, in his fourth decade with CBS News, has been the network's Senior European Correspondent since 1979. He comments on international events from his "Listening Post" in London, and other parts of the world as well.

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France-bashing is considered good politics in America. Bush-bashing is seen as good politics in France. And for the moment, both countries are happily taking pot shots at each other.

Cheap shots might be a better description.

President Jacques Chirac took aim at President Bush last week and accused him of "going too far" by urging the European Union to begin membership negotiations with Turkey as soon as possible.

The odd thing is that Chirac also believes Turkey should be admitted to the European Union. He just didn't like Bush telling him so. "It's a bit as if I explained to the United States how it should conduct its relations with Mexico," snapped Chirac." Right in the face.

President Bush, for his part, aimed for the solar plexus when he cozied up with his friend British Prime Minister Tony Blair to give him advance notice that the U.S. was returning sovereignty to Iraq two days earlier than scheduled.

Bush stole the spotlight when he broke the news at a NATO summit. That caught the other NATO governments by surprise, especially France. Chirac's feathers were very ruffled when he grumbled that "the transfer of sovereignty is a necessary step towards resolving the crisis, but certainly not enough."

The temperature between the United States and France has dropped to the point where Chirac now says, "We are friends (of the United States), we are allies. We are not servants."

So it goes. And it is likely to continue until at least the November election.

You could dismiss it as empty posturing, except that in the meantime, some urgent international problems are likely to remain unresolved. Like the proposal to send more NATO peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan, to stabilize the country prior to its September elections. Chirac has vetoed that one, despite American urging and pathetic pleas from Afghan interim President Hamid Karzai.

A French diplomat suggested there are better uses for the new NATO Rapid Reaction Force, which is largely manned by French troops: "When you have a Formula One car in the garage," he said, "you are not going to risk bashing it up in the mountains of Afghan."

Chirac has also vetoed American requests for NATO help in training new Afghan security forces. He insists any help provided cannot be done under the NATO flag, and not on Iraqi territory.

Finally, he also helped gut the Bush administrations big plan to promote democracy in the "Greater Middle East."

President Chirac is not only playing to his own domestic opinion. He has allies in Europe. The German and Spanish governments also have deep reservations about Iraq. But Chirac clearly leads the pack as the spokesman for "Old Europe."

The bottom line is that France and Old Europe don't want to do anything that may help President Bush win re-election.

They know that right now, Mr. Bush is in a weak position, and vulnerable to charges by Senator Kerry that he weakened America by not only failing to win NATO support for the war, but also for the essential postwar task of stabilizing Iraq. The President has been forced to back down on several key American demands, including the issue of whether American troops can be tried in the International Court of Justice.

So you can expect more Bush-bashing from Europe.

The problem for Chirac is that if Bush does win, France will have to deal with an American president who has a much stronger position, and a long memory.


By Tom Fenton