In her column a few days later, Christine Clerc will talk about her “
sense of panache
”.
On February 14, 2003, Dominique de Villepin, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a historic speech to the United Nations Security Council in more ways than one.
Against the Americans, he affirms France's opposition to a hasty military intervention in Iraq.
He won applause from the audience, which was completely unprecedented.
American pressure
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States of George W. Bush has been at war against terrorism.
Engaged in Afghanistan, they also accuse the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein of having acquired weapons of mass destruction and call for armed intervention.
On February 5, the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, brandished before the UN various documents and videos supposed to attest to the presence of biochemical weapons, up to a vial reputed to contain anthrax.
The front page of Le Figaro on February 6, 2003 returns to Colin Powell's speech.
Le Figaro
Faced with the Americans supported by Tony Blair's United Kingdom, France has so far stalled by voting to send inspection missions to Iraq.
For disarmament in peace
Emissary of a Jacques Chirac worried about a destabilization of the region, Dominique de Villepin makes this February 14 his third trip to New York in less than a month.
After listening to the UN inspectors' report, his "
sigh of relief " is almost audible,
Le Figaro
reports at the time
.
Indeed, Hans Blix, the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Inspection and Verification Commission (Cocovinu), considered that with the "
immediate, active and unconditional
" cooperation of Baghdad, the period "
necessary to achieve disarmament of Iraq through inspections could be short
”.
Le Figaro returns to Villepin's speech on February 15, 2003. Le Figaro
“
The inspections give results
”, can then argue Dominique de Villepin.
"
No one can therefore say today that the path to war will be shorter than that of inspections," he continues.
Nor can anyone claim that it could lead to a safer, fairer and more stable world.
For war is always the sanction of failure.
»
Read alsoFind Dominique de Villepin's full speech on Iraq at the UN
"
In the turmoil, Dominique de Villepin stayed the course
," said
Le Figaro the next day,
taking up the main points of the speech.
But “
it is doubtful that American leaders are convinced by these arguments.
They give the impression of being determined, whatever happens, to fight it out.
“
It was more like a respite from a long escalation
,” analyzes the editorial.
Indeed, while in the United States the anti-French feeling is exacerbated, the coalition led by the Americans declares war on Iraq on March 20, 2003.
Villepin or the sense of panache by Christine Clerc on February 17, 2003. Le Figaro
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