January 16, 2003	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 12, 1423

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PARIS, Jan 15: French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said on Wednesday that the government would not tolerate any external pressure in taking a decision over participation in a US-led invasion of Iraq.

“France will decide all by herself whether she goes to war,” the premier informed the National Assembly.

“No pressure will be placed upon us, and if we decide to go to war, it will be as a function of our interests and not because of pressure brought to bear upon us,” a veiled reference to repeated attempts by the United States to persuade France, as well as individual ministers considered more pro-US and anti-Iraq than Mr Raffarin or President Jacques Chirac, to take part in the US attack.

Several weeks ago, President Chirac refused to honour a “shopping list” sent him by the United States with regard to specific forms of logistical support that Washington desired from Paris.

The prime minister was speaking during a parliamentary debate and was reacting to a question whether France might have already taken a decision to take part in an allied attack on Iraq.

The assertion by Mr Raffarin, who speaks very rarely on questions of foreign policy, came in the wake of opinion polls showing that three out of four Frenchmen are opposed to an invasion of Iraq.

Interestingly, however, supporters of the far right National Front have expressed support for an attack, the polls show. The party’s leaders are, on the contrary, opposed to any action against Baghdad.