Greetings to the citizens of Paris from The Sun newspaper, which is read by ten million people every day.

We think your President, Jacques Chirac, is a disgrace to Europe by constantly threatening to veto military action to enforce the will of the United Nations against Iraq.

We think it is all the more hypocritical because the world knows that eventually President Chirac will agree to support the UN, America and Great Britain.

British people feel M Chirac, who in the UK is nicknamed the 'worm', is arrogantly strutting about trying to make France seem more important in the world than it really is.

The truth is that all the world - including France - recognises that Saddam Hussein must be dealt with. But only the French President seems determined to frustrate the will of the international community.

When Saddam Hussein has gone, people in Britain and the rest of Europe will look at France and ask themselves whether France is much of an ally any more. People will ask themselves why anyone should bother with what France and its leader say.

We also think in Britain that you in France have forgotten how much you owe to other nations, particularly America and Britain, for coming to your aid in two world wars.

You were glad enough to welcome the Americans when Hitler ruled France.

But now you sneer at the American people and their president, and forget how the war cemeteries of France are packed with American and British soldiers and sailors and airmen who laid down their lives so France could be free.


Today, the Americans - backed by other European nations braver than France - are preparing again to rid the world of a tyrant.

On behalf of our ten million readers, we say to you today:

Are you not ashamed of your president?