Naughty Jacques

The Germans are up in arms – or some of them anyway – about Jacques Chirac’s saber rattling over “states” that sponsor nuclear terrorism. [Who could that be?-ed. I dunno. Estonia?] According to Deutsche Welle:

Chirac’s threat of a nuclear response to any terrorist attack on his country prompted widespread criticism in diplomatic circles in Berlin.

The Christian Democrats (CDU) distanced themselves from Chirac’s statements. CDU foreign policy expert Andreas Schockenhoff, referring to the international community’s ongoing efforts to prevent countries such as Iran from developing nuclear weapons, suggested that Chirac was not being helpful.

“We have to convince these countries that their situation isn’t going to get any better if they possess nuclear weapons,” Schockenhoff told Reuters in Berlin. “I don’t think Chirac’s approach is really the best way to lead this debate and to increase pressure on Iran.”

The Social Democrats’ foreign policy expert, Gert Weisskirchen, told Spiegel Online that Chirac had acted rashly.

“This is a unilateral declaration on the part of the French president, and it’s something he ought to have discussed with his European partners first,” Weisskirchen said.

Quel horreur! For the first time in a decade or so Chirac reacts like a real person and the Germans get into a flutter. You may be relieved to know:

Germany’s Green party called on the German government to demand Chirac to retract his threat. The Greens’ defense expert, Winfried Nachtwei, called Chirac’s statements “risky” and “irresponsible.”

“The Greens’ defense expert.” Now there’s an interesting concept.