The Usual Suspect

I thought one possible benefit of having President Obama in office was that the reflexive anti-Americanism of much of the world whenever we acted to defend ourselves might dissipate with Bush out of office. I thought that was unfair to Bush, but I'll take any advantage I can get.

So when you consider the lead we are taking in helping Haitians after the devastating earthquake that leveled the country, how does this complaint even make sense?

The French minister in charge of humanitarian relief called on the UN to "clarify" the American role amid claims the military build up was hampering aid efforts.

Alain Joyandet admitted he had been involved in a scuffle with a US commander in the airport's control tower over the flight plan for a French evacuation flight.

"This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti," Mr Joyandet said.

Indeed. We are, however, being praised by the UN for bringing order to the airport so relief can get in:

U.N. spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs defended U.S. efforts, saying the airport wouldn't be working without U.S. military help and crediting the U.S. with bringing great aid and expertise to the impoverished nation.

And we're now air dropping supplies into controlled areas so that aid that must be landed can use the limited landing slots:

The US military has started airdrops of food and water to quake-ravaged Haiti, delivering some 14,500 meals and 15,000 liters of water to a site just outside Port-au-Prince, the Pentagon said in a statement.

So, the French complaint is a bit much. President Obama can't even order the rescue of people without getting the George W. Bush treatment by France.

But perhaps I lack compassion for the French minister in charge of humanitarian relief. Perhaps he's having a bit of a problem with this directive out of Paris:

[There is] a growing number of French people born outside France or in the country to foreign parents who are now being told they must present documents supporting their nationality if they want to keep it.

See? The minister just figured that being rude, dismissive, and ungrateful to American help would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is 100% French.

Still, the minister appears to have gone a bit too far, since the president of France felt it necessary to counter that complaint by emphasizing our important role.

Which could be a problem for Nicolas Sarkozy, who was born in Hungary, when he needs to renew his passport.