Chirac Says France Will Use Nukes, If Necessary

From Reuters comes this story.

BREST, France (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state that carried out a terrorist attack against it, reaffirming the need for its nuclear deterrent.

Is this an epiphany or is this posturing as strategy in another issue? I would hope that Europe is really starting to understand the gravity of the world situation, right now. But let's read on:

Deflecting criticism of France's costly nuclear arms program, President Jacques Chirac said security came at a price and France must be able to hit back hard at a hostile state's centers of power and its "capacity to act."

Can anyone see why I am so skeptical of anything that comes out of that man's mouth?

As it does everywhere, the left in France is always on the attack about military expenditures and their nuclear program. That money could be used to give laborers in France, more time off, more money, and so on. Blah, blah. Feed starving people. Blah, blah.

So, is he just trying to deflect some criticism or is he really trying to get a grip on the situation? Because, I sure can't tell.

Is he coming to the conclusion that an enemy exists and they would have no qualms about hitting France?

I sincerely hope so. But there is always that seed of doubt and that ray of skepticism. With the exception of the brave men and women of the French Resistance in WWII, France does not have a good track record of showing any reasonable amount of courage over anything.