France and Germany Differ With U.S. on Plan for Iraq

BERLIN, Sept. 4 — Giving their first responses to the Bush administration's turn to the United Nations for help in the occupation of Iraq, the leaders of France and Germany announced today that their countries would not support an American proposal that the Security Council authorize an expanded international force under American control and financial help for Iraq.

Meeting in Dresden, President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said the American plan, circulated to the Security Council on Wednesday, did not go far enough in transferring political control of Iraq to the Iraqis.

"We are ready to examine the proposals, but they seem quite far from what appears to us the primary objective, namely the transfer of political responsibility to an Iraqi government as soon as possible," Mr. Chirac said during a news conference with Mr. Schröder.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/05/international/europe/05GERM.html

offered them lucrative Iraqi chocolate contracts, and they turned them down.

Da Noiv!