France Thinks Iran's Swell

hat tip: Israel Matzav

YNet News carries a Reuters story that France thinks that Iran is one great country:

France: Iran plays stabilizing role in Middle East

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy says Tehran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East – 'a great country, a great people and a great civilization'
Reuters

Iran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East which is playing a stabilizing role, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Monday.

"It was clear that we could never accept a destabilization of Lebanon, which could lead to a destabilization of the region," Douste-Blazy said in Beirut.

"In the region there is of course a country such as Iran – a great country, a great people and a great civilization which is respected and which plays a stabilizing role in the region," he told a news conference.

"a great country, a great people and a great civilization which is respected and which plays a stabilizing role in the region"

Gee, do you think they left anything out?

Contrast that with the comment by Daniel Bernard,the French Ambassador to France in 2002, that Israel was "a xxxxty little country" and added afterwards:

"Why should the world be in danger of World War III because of those people?"

Good thing there are countries like Iran around--the model of stability in the Middle East

Meanwhile UNIFIL in Lebanon is led by French Major General Alain Pellegrini of France.

Somehow, I don't find that particularly reassuring.

Update: Another example of Iran's stabilizing influence (hat tip Hot Air):

Iraqi insurgents are teaching recruits sophisticated sniper techniques for targeting U.S. troops that include singling out engineers, medics and chaplains, according to training material obtained by U.S. military intelligence.

The insurgent sniper training manual was posted on the Internet. Among its tips: "Killing doctors and chaplains is suggested as a means of psychological warfare."

Technorati Tag: Israel and Iran and France.