By Elinor Blair - 17th November 2004
France's president Jacques Chirac says that war in Iraq has led to an escalation of terrorist attacks.
“There's no doubt that there has been an increase in terrorism and one of the origins of that has been the situation in Iraq,” said Chirac in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.
The French leader believes that Saddam Hussein’s removal from power is a “positive thing”.
But he adds that, “it also provoked reactions, such as the mobilisation in a number of countries, of men and women of Islam, which has made the world more dangerous.”
Chirac, who maintains the position that intervention in Iraq should have been through the UN, also said earlier in the week that the UK has received nothing from the US in return for its support in Iraq.
"I'm not sure it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favours systematically," he said.
The Frenchman told British papers that the UK and France have a “long but tumultuous love affair”.
The only time Chirac said had really quarrelled with British prime minister Tony Blair was over agriculture but they were both tired after an EU summit, he said.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.