Understanding French Opposition :: Economics Diplomats War in Iraq France Essays

Understanding French Opposition This essay examines the nature of French opposition to the US-led war in Iraq. In recent months this opposition has reinforced many of the negative stereotypes Americans associate with Frenchmen, and boycotts of French wines and â€Å"French† fries are now commonplace in the United States. However, writing the French off as â€Å"cowards† or â€Å"appeasers† is not only misguided but also fails to consider the complex nature of French opposition. Although inextricably linked, the opposition put forth by the French people is not the same as the opposition directed by the French government. Nonetheless, French President Jacques Chirac and other Gaullist politicians have used the popular opposition to further and justify their own agenda. While the apprehensions of the French people are largely understandable—as their attitudes are a reflection of their tumultuous and bloody past, the motivations behind France’s political actors are not so obvious and are founded in the economic realities and diplomatic-power struggles of the twenty-first century. Despite what some Americans may argue, the French are not fundamentally opposed to war. In fact France’s readiness to use ground support in both Kosovo and Bosnia outweighed that of the United States. Consequently, in October of 2001, nearly a month after September 11th, France’s popular backing of the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan was seventy-three percent in favor—the highest among Europe’s largest states. The French recognized the security threat posed by al Qaeda and the Taliban and clearly saw the connection between September 11th and the al Qaeda masterminds. Their support ran afoul only when the US tried connecting the dots between September 11th and Iraq. To say the French are opposed to war or are against fighting terrorism is both inaccurate and inflammatory. The French know first hand the implications of Islamic jihad-driven terrorism, as they have been the target of more terrorist attacks than any other European nation during t he last century. The scars of French colonialism in North Africa—particularly in Algeria—are still raw in the minds of many Muslims, and it is this resentment and antipathy that the French fear as the US wages a war in Iraq. The French worry that the short-term military and strategic victories made in Iraq will only breed more contempt and mistrust toward the US—the very â€Å"terrorist roots† that the US is aiming to destroy.