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French Policy Still Vigorously Criticized By Iraqis

In this country where, by tradition and with a grin, you still often hear "France good, USA bad!" there is also very severe criticism of France’s policy of the past year. "If the American approach has led to error after error in Iraq, the Europeans, and the French in particular, are still more idiotic because they base their position solely on the position of Washington. They pay absolutely no attention to Iraq and its inhabitants," says Fakhri Karim, director of the Al-Mada newspaper, in summing up popular sentiment. "Iraqis think that Europe and France have twice abandoned them, first to Saddam, and then under U.S. occupation. France is interested only in its anti-American position. It has forgotten the Iraqis. Chirac and Villepin should understand that not a single Iraqi considers their position to be courageous… What did France do to help Iraq liberate itself from the dictator, and to help Iraq regain its sovereignty? Nothing!"