The Monroes became very popular in France, where the diplomat's lady received the affectionate name of la belle Americaine.

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"There is a climate of mistrust and it's focused on one of the 19 allies, " said a diplomat, referring to France.

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As a young boy, Oliver would meet his three half-brothers every week, and at the age of 7 he left France after his mother married a diplomat in the U.S. foreign service, a change that took him to Zambia and Egypt, and eventually boarding school in Britain.

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Mr de Villepin was born the son of a French diplomat in Morocco, and only later moved to France.

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According to a Western diplomat, the U.S., Canada, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Japan have quietly agreed to help with the remaining asylum requests.

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Marc Pierini, a former European Union career diplomat, wrote in a commentary for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that France also needs a "fresh start" in the Arab world.

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