Today's Date:

The U.S. disagreement with France over the war in Iraq is ancient history, the French ambassador to the United States said yesterday.

"Yes, we had a real divergence of opinion," Jean-David Levitte told about 150 people at the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond. But now, "let's work together to rebuild Iraq," he said.

The two countries want to see the international community stand united on the challenges of Iraqi reconstruction.
"The mood in Europe is we have to make Iraq a success story," Levitte told the group, which met at the Omni Hotel Richmond.

Levitte said French President Jacques Chirac believes that "what is at stake in Iraq is huge" - the future of the Middle East.

Failure to build a stable Iraq would mean the further spread of Islamic terrorism, Levitte said.

Only a small percentage of Muslims worldwide are sympathetic to terrorism, Levitte noted, so western nations should take care not to alienate the peaceable majority.

Though Saddam Hussein was a bloody dictator, Levitte said, in France's view he posed no imminent threat to western interests.

"Now after the war, you have terrorists in Iraq," and the U.S. military occupation of that country could trigger greater resentment among Iraqis, Levitte said.

The solution is to transfer power to the Iraqis themselves, he said.

"Our dream is to see a moderate, democratic regime in charge," he said. "It will not be a French democracy. It will not be an American democracy. It will be an Iraqi democracy.

"However, "for the time being, it is a real nightmare," Levitte said.

"It's going downhill. That's where we have to join forces."

He urged pragmatic acceptance of offers to help the Iraqis. "The first priority is training and equipping security forces for Iraq" even if a nation, such as France, volunteers to do that outside of Iraq.

France will not send troops to Iraq, he said, but his country has offered to train a national security force - a gendarmerie - and the Iraqi interim government has indicated that it will accept the offer.

"I have no doubt that they will," Levitte said.

France, he pointed out, has suffered from Islamic terrorism at home and abroad for many years.

After Sept. 11, the French supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and deployed 5,500 soldiers, as well as bombers based in Kyrgyzstan and on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

French forces provide logistical support to the Afghan theater, transporting coalition troops and equipment with the assistance of French detachments stationed in Uzbekistan, and resupplying U.S. warships, Levitte said.