That's not the headline from Ha'aretz, but it might as well be. The lead of the story is that we will start the regime change in Iraq before the elections, but the real story is that the French government doesn't necessarily think that a bad thing.

France's traditional reservations about a military operation against Iraq have been blatantly weakened in the weeks since French President Jacques Chirac was re-elected without the need for power sharing with the Left. Bush's military doctrine, which calls for a preemptive strike against countries and entities that might use terror or weapons of mass destruction, is accepted by Paris despite its reticence. "If we know that Libya is going to launch a missile at Marseilles, we won't wait until [Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi pushes the button, but why say so ahead of time?" said one strategic planner in the French Foreign Ministry this week.

One of his colleagues added that his government now tilts toward welcoming an American decision to topple Saddam, both because of the general intra-Arab politics and within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For the Arab world, the collapse of dictatorial or dynastic regimes and intensification of the democratic process will eventually sweep through countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. France is worried that without an added degree of democracy, the political protests could be channeled into Islamic fundamentalism and result in civil wars, which would send hundreds of thousands of refugees onto the country's southern beaches seeking asylum.

Rand,

The French want to get paid.

It will be easier to get Iraqi oil funds from the American Military governor if the Kermitoids are nice to us before the Invasion of Iraq rather than being typically French before hand and having to kiss up to us afterwards.

"If we know that Libya is going to launch a missile at Marseilles..." Ah, what a WONDERFUL image.

Or maybe the French have, after seeing which way the wind is blowing, decided to jump onto the side of historical inevitability.

"Or maybe the French have, after seeing which way the wind is blowing, decided to jump onto the side of historical inevitability."

Stephen! Are you implying the French are -- are -- are ... CYNICAL!!!???

Oops...

[/sarcasm]

I needed to do that, otherwise every comment after mine would be sarcastic.

Of course not Kevin, only a cynic would suggest that.