I wonder if USS Clueless’ team are mostly being sarcastic (e.g., in the choice of name for their space ship). They quote a translation of this Le Monde op-ed and pretend to be bewildered by its “arrogance and condescension”. But the tone doesn’t really matter. What is really amusing is that principle and self-interest reinforce each other as motives — both for going to war in Washington, and for standing in Washington’s way in certain other capitals. So don’t accuse the French of hypocrisy.
By the way, to follow the US and to “shut up and get out of the way” is essentially the same thing in this situation.
Anyway, it’s a matter of who gets what share of post-war Iraq’s oil and at what price. But the negotiations have been too lengthy.