>SNIP
>>why would you be surprised if they do not back you? Perhaps they see this >as a chance to regain the Middle East prestige they lost to the US in the >1950s?
>
>
>Hi John,
>We should not be surprised. Perhaps it has nothing to do with the U.S. and France relationships per se, but more to do with the economic agreements France has with many middle eastern countries-economic support for a guarantee of no terrorist activity in France? This while supposedly supporting the UN sanctions on IRAQ and still selling IRAQ equipment?????
>
>We will probably never truly know...
>
>Tracy

Actually, I think you're a lot closer to the truth than you think. My understanding is that both Russia and France have a lot of vested interest in what happens with Iraq. The numbers I've heard is that they have about $60 billion in oil futures contracts, that could totaly disappear if the US goes to war in Iraq. That $60 billion to those countries is a really big deal, much more so than $60 B is to the US. Anyway you measure it, it's about the oil and money, just not who you really think the oil and money is for!