Mainstream media feign belief that President George W. Bush's planned escalation in Iraq has a reasonable chance of success.  --  AFP, however, reported Friday that French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy is saying Iraq is "close to partition."[1]  --  Reuters added that Douste-Blazy warned:  "There is today a situation of regional destabilization."[2]  --  "We think that the only solution, we have already said so, is to have a withdrawal by 2008 of the international forces which are in Iraq today and at the same time the restoration of the rule of law," he added.  --  A Google News search suggests that no American news outlets chose to run this item....

1.

IRAQ 'CLOSE TO PARTITION,' SAYS FRENCH FM

Agence France-Presse
March 2, 2007

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/STED-6YWN3J

PARIS -- Iraq is nearing partition, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Friday as violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims raged on in Baghdad.

Following talks with his counterpart from Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, Douste-Blazy on Iraq told reporters: "We are clearly in agreement on one unfortunate fact: We are close to partition."

The French foreign minister said the only solution to Iraq's descent into more chaos was a withdrawal of international forces in 2008 and restoring the rule of law.

"Even the Iraqi officials are unable for the time being of making plans for Iraq," said the Qatari foreign minister, referring to the chaos.

"Of course, the neighbors can be of help or not be of help, but the Iraqis must above all depend on themselves by making decisions to restore justice, create equality, combat militias, and reassure the whole of the Iraqi people," he said.

An international conference on security in Iraq is scheduled for March 10 in Baghdad, with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France set to attend along with Iraqi neighbours Syria and Iran.

Ten people died Friday when a bomb exploded in an open air car market in an east Baghdad Shiite bastion that has been a regular target of Sunni extremists.

2.

FRANCE SAYS IRAQ CLOSE TO PARTITION

Reuters
March 2, 2007

Original source: Reuters

PARIS -- French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Friday sectarian violence was close to tearing Iraq apart and the situation there was destabilizing the whole region.

France vocally opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and has called for Washington to announce a date by which it will withdraw its troops from the country.

"We agree on a sad observation. We are close to partition. There is today a situation of regional destabilization," Douste-Blazy said at a joint news conference with Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani.

"We think that the only solution, we have already said so, is to have a withdrawal by 2008 of the international forces which are in Iraq today and at the same time the restoration of the rule of law," he added.

France has welcomed a March 10 conference with Iraq's neighbors and major world powers aimed at stabilizing the country, and has said it will attend.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who was foreign minister during the Iraq war, said last month the United States had failed in Iraq and the underlying cause of instability there was a feeling that the U.S. presence was illegitimate.