You know we’ve crossed the line into truly pussified territory once France is tougher on another country than we are. This is nothing against Nicolas Sarkozy, a far better leader than Jacques Chirac could ever dream of being, but still… it’s France.

Under President Nicolas Sarkozy, France has adopted an increasingly hard-edged approach to Iran, often out ahead of the Obama administration with uncompromising language criticizing Iranian leaders and warning that their nuclear program threatens world peace.

The French attitude reflects Sarkozy’s assessment that acquiescing to unsupervised nuclear development by Tehran would be perilous, risking an Israeli attack on Iranian installations and increasing instability in the Middle East. In addition, French analysts said, Sarkozy feels that Europe got nowhere with Iran in several years of what was called “constructive dialogue” and that it is time to move on to stronger measures in tandem with Washington.

… The tough new French approach marks a clear change from the days of Presidents Jacques Chirac and George W. Bush, when France was often a reluctant U.S. ally compared with Britain and Germany. In contrast, Sarkozy in recent weeks has used a sharper tone than have British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel — and President Obama — in denouncing Iran’s nuclear program and advocating sanctions to force Tehran to allow inspectors in.

Sarkozy’s fundamental position — seek dialogue but impose stronger sanctions unless Iran opens its nuclear program to international inspection — dovetails neatly with the stances of Obama and other major U.S. allies, Heisbourg and French officials said. But his recent public comments have suggested impatience with Obama’s extended-hand policy and a conviction that the time has come to deal firmly with Tehran’s nuclear program.

Under the Obama administration, Iran has become bolder and more dangerous. There was the rigged election leading to protestors fighting — and being murdered — for their freedom. Iran has even test-fired nuclear-capable missiles in the face of — gasp! — threats of sanctions from the west. Ahmedinejad is still denying that the Holocaust has ever happened and he still wants to wipe Israel off the map.

Yet Obama still is willing to meet with Ahmedinejad with no preconditions. He’s willing to let the Iranian foreign minister, Manoucher Mottaki, visit the capital even though they’ve been blocked from the capital for thirty years. Every time Iran has shown that they’re a dangerous threat (and definitely not a tiny, insignificant country) Obama has done nothing more than send them the equivalent of a strongly worded letter saying to stop… please?? Obama’s foreign policy is not only a horrific failure at accomplishing anything, it’s also embarassing. We may have the strongest and best fighting for in the world, but all the same… what does it tell you when France has found more backbone than we have?