Oh the pure excitement - those pillocking countries who defied common sense by opposing the coalition’s military action against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq were yesterday DENIED any share of the reconstruction contracts by the Pentagon. How wonderful! I was so hoping they wouldn’t allow those vipers to get their greedy little fingers around something that they did not pay for in finance or blood. There is $18.6 billion of contracts available for bidding - France, Germany and Russia will not get a penny - and RIGHTLY SO.

Apparently it has drawn “a furious response”. How amusing! Germany has called it “unacceptable”, France has “questioned the legality” of the announcement (um, what???), and Russia threatened not to write off Iraq’s prewar debt. It appears that the same sense of entitlement bred among their citizens by their left-wing domestic policies is also prevalent in their own thinking with regard to international matters.

Chirac, the president of France (whose name we wouldn’t even know if it weren’t for his bizarre rhetoric before the conflict) is, of course, bound to be livid, as will his prime minister Raffarin. Raffarin is a man who has just drafted a law to BAN Muslim women from wearing their hijab (headgear) in state-owned establishments including schools and hospitals. These people clearly cannot keep their little meddling hands to themselves. But they LOVE FREEDOM!!! For sure.

So far as I can tell, the best statement on this matter so far has come from an anonomous State Department official who said, “The $18 billion is taxpayer money. We’re spending it on those who have already contributed …. blood and treasure to liberate Iraq.”

And amen to that.