France condemns US, Australia 'lies' over security pact snub, recalls ambassadors

[enhanced_deficit]

France seems upset, it has just done something that it hadn't done since birth of America over two centuries ago:



Aukus: French minister condemns US and Australia 'lies' over security pact

Sep 19, 2021

France's foreign minister has accused Australia and the US of lying over a new security pact that prompted Paris to recall its ambassadors.


Jean-Yves Le Drian also accused the countries of "duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt".

The pact, known as Aukus, thwarted a multibillion-dollar deal France had signed with Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had acted in the country's national interests.
He insisted the French government "would have had every reason to know that we had deep and grave concerns" that the $37bn (£27bn) deal signed in 2016 - for France to build 12 conventional submarines - "was not going to meet our strategic interests".
"Of course it's a matter of great disappointment to the French government, so I understand their disappointment," he said. "But at the same time, Australia like any sovereign nation must always take decisions that are in our sovereign national defence interest."
The Aukus agreement - which also includes the UK - will see Australia being given the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines as a way of countering China's influence in the contested South China Sea.
France was informed only hours before the public announcement was made earlier this week.

In an interview with France 2 television on Saturday, Mr Le Drian said a "serious crisis" was in progress between the allies.

• VIEW FROM BRUSSELS: Awkward wake-up call for Europe
• ANALYSIS: Why this pact signals a major shift
• EXPLAINED: Tensions in the South China Sea

"The fact that for the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France we are recalling our ambassador for consultations is a serious political act, which shows the magnitude of the crisis that exists now between our countries," he told France 2.
He said the ambassadors were being recalled to "re-evaluate the situation".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58610234



In recent past, a French media outlet had published disrespectful cartoon of Prez Biden and former FLOTUS Melania Trump but it does not appear such media publications played a role in recent Biden snub.

Caution: Graphic cartoon that many may find offensive

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OrwAAOSwgRJfs63~/s-l400.jpg

 

[enhanced_deficit]

French leader lately facing multiple challenges:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ5FZa08my8


Investigations were on going still and from reporting thus far it does not appear that such tools were used to undermine French-Australian submarine deal (a development that has made France so angry apparently that for the first time in decades no high French official was sent to the world leaders UN meeting in progress currently).

French Prez Macron orders inquiry into Israeli spyware case after reports of his phone hack
July 21, 2021
"Immediately following the publication of the report, Macron called for a series of investigations to be carried out into the Pegasus spyware case, Prime Minister Jean Castex told French TV channel TF1 on Wednesday.
Then on Thursday, Macron held an emergency cybersecurity meeting to weigh possible government action after reports that his cellphone and those of government ministers may have been targeted by spyware. Macron changes his phones regularly and is “taking the matter very seriously,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Thursday on France-Inter radio.

 

[Swordsmyth]

It goes both ways.

No nation has friends only interests.
Charles de Gaulle



Cry more.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

It goes both ways.

No nation has friends only interests.
Charles de Gaulle

But surely there must be adherence to some basic principles when choosing partners in pursuit of interets, right?

[h=1]Neocons-Al Qaeda alliance for common interests in Syria[/h]

Personally I think, both for persons and nations, life without friendships and based merely on opportunistic partnerships would be rather dull.

 

[Snowball]

Morrison seems to believe fully embracing domestic nuclear capability long-term is in Down Under's best interest.
The French subs were nuclear-powered but do not produce weapons-grade. The US ones he is buying produce weapons-grade for nuclear missiles on board. In order to do this, the compact has to be sealed forever, 33 years they last and cannot be replaced, the whole US produced sub fleet will have to be replaced anew. Australia has other deals in place to make a domestic reactor.

Why is this a good idea? All it does is put more pressure on China - and perhaps Russia - to keep the merry-go-round going, more, more, more --- deadlier and deadlier --- Australia will not be able to compete with them. It is starting from scratch - how is this a good idea? All it does is incentivise China and Russia to act sooner before later, and anything could trigger it... Iran, Ukraine, etc.

This obsession with apocalyptic weaponry is not unlike Covid --- is the cure worse than the disease? Will a nuclear arsenal make Australians and their continent safer, or actually less safe ?

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Morrison seems to believe fully embracing domestic nuclear capability long-term is in Down Under's best interest.
The French subs were nuclear-powered but do not produce weapons-grade. The US ones he is buying produce weapons-grade for nuclear missiles on board. In order to do this, the compact has to be sealed forever, 33 years they last and cannot be replaced, the whole US produced sub fleet will have to be replaced anew. Australia has other deals in place to make a domestic reactor.

Need to confirm but this appears to be a shift, recall hearing in news that French subs were supposed to be converted to diesel design as part of previous Australia deal as Australia, NZ had ban on nuclear.