With so-called friends such as France and Russia, the United States doesn’t need enemies.

Payback time is coming soon, however.

The two morally challenged countries face financial blows when New Iraq refuses to pay billions of dollars in debts to them for Saddam Hussein’s under-the-table purchases of United Nations-banned military goodies.

Everybody now knows why the governments of Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Putin so adamantly opposed Operation Iraqi Freedom.

And why France and Russia now threaten to veto lifting of U.N. oil sanctions against Iraq if it doesn’t honor Great Uncle’s IOUs and oil contracts.

Just follow the money.

Economics—not political or religious beliefs—are the real basis for all civil and military conflicts. (27 APRIL 2003)