CHIRAC WAS HECKLED BY AIDS PROTESTERS:

PARIS (Reuters) – The European Union defended its record on funding a global scheme to fight AIDS as angry protesters heckled French President Jacques Chirac at an international conference on the disease Wednesday. . . .

But the real problem isn’t Chirac’s own efforts, but his inability to bring other European nations into a coalition:

Former South African President Nelson Mandela had called on Europe to match the commitment of President Bush, who in May signed into law a plan to triple AIDS funding over five years to $15 billion. . . .

Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair had urged other leaders to promise up to $1 billion at the Paris talks. But diplomatic sources said Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands had blocked increased EU funding.

Chirac, whose speech to the closing session of he conference was interrupted for five minutes by protesters chanting “Shame!,” said he still hoped Europe would make this pledge.

Sounds like they should really be heckling Schroeder et al.