Logical Lady Claudia Rosette is one of those women who never let her gender define her role in the world.  She is a foreign policy expert and journalist who has covered the UN Oil for Food scandal and the Tiananmen Square uprising, the war in Chechnya and the fall of the Soviet regime in Kabul.  She has written for publications from the Wall Street Journal to US Today and many other points in between.  She has reported from locals that would make most men blanch.

Yesterday - writing for Pajama's Media, Ms. Rosette talks about President Sarkozy's speech to the UN.

There’s plenty in French politics that the world could live without — thus, in 2003, when Jacques Chirac was president of France, Americans ended up ordering “Freedom Fries.” But the pendulum swings, and these days – credit France — we find French president Nicolas Sarkozy warning President Barack Obama that a foreign policy of denial and appeasement is the way to becoming French — and American — toast.  During the past week’s meetings at the United Nations, featuring Obama’s “mutual respect” and global tyrants on parade, there came a moment at which Sarkozy opened his mouth on the big, big subject of nuclear crisis, and spoke truth to Obamaland. It got far too little coverage — so I reprise it here...

They began with Obama’s pre-packaged deal of unanimously adopting a “historic” resolution, which Obama said “enshrines our shared commitment to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons,” etc, etc. etc (All very nice, but what does this have to do with the real world?). Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon kicked off the ensuing round of official self-congratulatory huffing and puffing (”…a historic moment…a fresh start towards a new future”). The canned diplo-speak continued, as each member spoke in turn – Costa Rica, Croatia, Russia, Spain, Austria, Vietnam, Uganda, China … and then it was the turn of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Here’s his wakeup call, in the UN’s translation from the French (boldface mine):

“We are here to guarantee peace. We are right to talk about the future. But the present comes before the future, and the present includes two major nuclear crises. The peoples of the entire world are listening to what we are saying, including our promises, commitments and speeches. But we live in the real world, not in a virtual one.

We say that we must reduce. President Obama himself has said that he dreams of a world without nuclear weapons. Before our very eyes, two countries are doing exactly the opposite at this very moment. Since 2005, Iran has violated five Security Council Resolutions. [Ed note: Sarkozy then listed international proposals for dialogue with Iran attempted in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.] I support America’s extended hand. But what have these proposals for dialogue produced for the international community? Nothing but more enriched uranium and more centrifuges. And last but not least, it has resulted in a statement by Iranian leaders calling for wiping off the map a Member of the United Nations. What are we to do? What conclusion are we to draw? At a certain moment hard facts will force us to take decisions.

… Secondly, there is North Korea — and there it is even more striking. It has violated every Security Council decision since 1993. It pays absolutely no attention to what the international community says. Even more, it continues ballistic missile testing. How can we accept that? What conclusions should we draw? …”

 

Emphasis in the original.  The European media gave President Sarkozy's comments the respect they deserved (as a head of state)...

But forceful statements from other leaders on the need to act against Iran following the vote threatened to upstage the special meeting.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, came close to mocking his American counterpart for the good intentions, which Mr Obama had heralded as an "historic" step towards nuclear abolition, even though it set no specific targets or fresh mandates.

"We live in a real world not a virtual world," the Frenchman told the 15-member council. "And the real world expects us to take decisions.

"President Obama dreams of a world without weapons ... but right in front of us two countries are doing the exact opposite.

The American media has been surprisingly (not!) silent.  

You have to chuckle though.  The signs were all there that this President was not going to  "make a decision" on anything - as his record of voting "Present" during his legislative career has shown us.  Yet President Sarkozy (along with several other European leaders) all but endorsed then Candidate Obama during the campaign.  I wonder if President Sarkozy is regretting his support now.....