Bush faces peace pretzel flood

George W Bush could face an avalanche of salty snacks

After the diplomatic friction between France and the US over war in Iraq, food is fast becoming the new theatre of transatlantic tension.

First a number of US restaurants renamed "French fries" as "Freedom fries".

Now a French anti-war website has launched a campaign to bombard the White House with pretzels - the snack which caused George W Bush an injury in January 2001.

The site, www.bretzelforbush.com, asks people to donate seven euros, of which six will be spent on buying and despatching pretzels to Washington, and one given to a children's charity, the Global Movement for Children.

The Pretzel... is wanted for attempted murder of the President of the United States as the latter was peacefully watching a football match

Pretzels for Bush website

It recalls that Mr Bush fainted and fell off a couch after choking on a pretzel as he watched an American football game on TV, and describes the snack as "the US's most wanted criminal".

"The Pretzel... is wanted for attempted murder of the President of the United States as the latter was peacefully watching a football match," says the site, in what it pretends is a last-minute communique from the FBI.

"It is a killing machine that knows no pity."

It also spreads a more serious anti-war message.

"We think that to oppose war is not to be against the American people, but simply against the politics of the Bush administration," the website says.

Organic plea

"We just decided to act in a peaceful way, following a single aim: peace in the world and the protection of children," it added.

'Retaliating' with pretzels is immature and humourless

Manu Liefde

By Monday evening it had collected more than 250 euros for the charity.

Visitors to the site's bulletin board are not all impressed, however.

A writer called Petrus posted says that President Saddam Hussein himself is one of the dangers for children in Iraq.

Another writer, under the name of Bel Americain, calls on France to "Wake up!", adding that neither diplomacy and sanctions have succeeded in disarming Iraq.

Manu Liefde, meanwhile, writes: "'Retaliating' with pretzels is immature and humourless."

Ms MJ Stringer, on the other hand, says she hopes the idea will generate "an avalanche of pretzels" adding: "Vive La France!"

And a writer called Eric insists the pretzels should be organic, and thus represent a simultaneous blow against GM foods.