I Hadn't Thought of That...

Which is strange since I wrote a twenty-page paper upbraiding it. But the sanctions regime is still in place against Iraq, and can only be lifted by the Security Council. Conceivably, the French could veto a resolution lifting the sanctions to spite the U.S. But that won't happen: first of all, the U.S. would just retaliate by completely cutting Europe out of the deal-making in the reconstruction process. Second of all, the trigger-happy posse in the White House might just leave the UN.

Speaking of France, Foreign Minister Villepin gave a very pro-Syria talk in Beirut last week. He's right: the U.S. would be both egregiously out of line and politically suicidal to attack Syria. But still, Villepin has a lot to learn about diplomacy in a world with a single superpower. A superpower not famous for its wine and frog legs.