France Insists It Wants U.S. to Win War 
March 28, 2003 09:24 AM EST          .................................................................

French Foreign Minister Dominique 
de Villepin speaks at the International 
Institute for Strategic Studies in
London, Thursday, March 27, 2003. 
Villepin warned Thursday that pre-
emptive strikes against rogue regimes
could further destabilize the world and
insisted that terrorism could only be 
combatted by a united international 
community. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
 		 PARIS - France's government insisted Friday that it hopes U.S.-led forces win the war in Iraq, protesting news reports that the French foreign minister was ambiguous about his position. 

The Foreign Ministry issued a curt statement quoting Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin as saying on Monday: "The United States, we hope, will win this war quickly." 

The statement said the ministry was "indignant" about the press coverage of Villepin's comments Wednesday at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. 

The ministry did not specify which publications it was referring to, but at least two English-language newspapers reported that Villepin refused to say explicitly who he hoped would win the war. 

When asked after a speech if he wanted the coalition forces to win, Villepin said he would not answer, admonished reporters for not listening carefully and referred them to earlier remarks.  
France has led the diplomatic opposition to the war, arguing that peaceful means of disarming Iraq had not been exhausted and that the U.S.-led military action was illegal and dangerous. 

Since the war started, Paris has called for a swift end to the fighting. But the government said Friday that does not mean Paris hopes Iraq wins the war, and said that its position on who it wants to win was "totally devoid of ambiguity." 

"Under these circumstances, it is not acceptable that the positions of France be distorted in this way," the statement said.