In his latest attempt to woo the Arab world Frances president Jacques Chirac has grown a Saddham-style moustache.
The new sultry middle-eastern look came after weeks of consultations with his Image team.
Jacques was unavailable for comment but Dominique de Villepin, Frances foreign minister explained Its really a very simple gesture of solidarity with the Arab world against agressors whoever they might be.
We asked Dominique whether he thought the new moustache would inflame the already-difficult relations between Paris and Washington. Not at all. Mr De-villepin replied. Anyway, there is no probleme at all between Paris and the US despite their illegal occupation of Iraq. Frances position is as it has always been that America is our ally, but the United Nations must have a primordial role in the reconstruction of Iraq, which cannot be left in the hands of the enemy agressor.