IT is the greatest innovation in diplomacy since Britain's Neville Chamberlain sold out Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler in exchange for a promise of peace. Call it the Douste—Blazy cower.

Philippe Douste—Blazy is the French foreign minister, and last week he was seen cowering in a doorway while visiting northern Israel after air raid sirens warned people to take cover against incoming Hezbollah rockets.

At a press conference in Beirut a few days later, Douste—Blazy praised Iran without (in contrast to the French government's attacks on Israel) criticism. He called Iran "a great country, a great people and a great civilization which is respected and which plays a stabilizing role in the region." It is also a major supplier of oil to France and a big customer for French goods.

And it built the rocket that had left Douste—Blazy cowering in that doorway. It shipped the rocket, very possibly on an Iranian airliner that landed at Beirut airport. Tehran trained and paid the Hezbollah terrorists who fired it. It also encouraged them to attack Israel and no doubt guaranteed them its military and diplomatic support in case they faced a serious threat from Israel.

Thus, we have the Douste—Blazy maneuver: First cower; then praise those shooting at you.

Ed Lasky  8 02 06