To the Point

French Resistance

French resistance to war in Iraq has outraged American politicians and led to an outpouring of Francophobia in the American media. On Capitol Hill, Democrats and Republicans accuse France of ingratitude for America-s actions in two world wars. In the US media, France is denounced as -cowardly- and -untrustworthy.- Influential columnist Tom Friedman wrote in the New York Times that France should be replaced by India on the UN Security Council. Is France really going its own way just to be different, or is legitimate debate about war and peace being drowned out by a history of cultural stereotypes? Making News: Inspectors Confirm Missiles in Iraq Exceed Limits While the world waits for Hans Blix to report on weapons inspections tomorrow, the number of troops now in striking distance of Iraq has reached 150,000. Meanwhile, Iraq announced an extraordinary session of parliament. Melinda Liu is on assignment in Baghdad for Newsweek magazine. Reporter's Notebook: Bernard Lewis on Clash between Islam, Middle East Modernity Since the attacks of September 11, America-s attention has been focused on Islam and its perceived hatred of the west. The latest message from Osama bin Laden that Muslims should fight against the US, even if it means fighting with Saddam Hussein, has reinforced that fear. Bernard Lewis, one of the western world-s leading Islamic scholars, approaches the conflict in his new book, What Went Wrong: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East.