Origin
The phrase is derived primarily from France's actions during United Nations debate on the threatened U.S. invasion of Iraq. In American slang, a weasel is a person who acts duplicitously or hypocritically. France had expressed strong opposition in the United Nations to an invasion of Iraq and had threatened to veto a proposed resolution against Iraq if it were voted upon. Belgium and Germany joined with France and thus were included in the group.
The phrase originated in a satirical item titled "Rumsfeld Sorry for 'Axis of Weasels' Remark" written by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace, his satirical blog, on January 22, 2003. Two days later, the New York Post used it in the main headline: . Ott's satirical item was spread widely by email, misleading some readers into believing that US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had really referred to France and Germany as an "Axis of Weasels." Ott later used the phrase as the title for a book (ISBN 0-9761414-0-X).
Read more about this topic: Axis Of Weasels
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