France backs US victory

FRANCE yesterday insisted it hopes US-led forces win the war in Iraq, protesting at news reports that the French foreign minister was ambiguous about his position.

France’s Foreign Ministry issued a curt statement quoting Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin as saying on March 24: “The United States, we hope, will win this war quickly.”

It said the ministry was “indignant” about coverage of Villepin’s comments on Thursday at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.