Never let it be said that I never agree with anything Matthew Yglesias at Tapped has to say. I think he makes an excellent point about the Pentagon’s decision to bar France, Russia and Germany from contracts in Iraq. I disagree with Yglesias when he says punishing those countries is simply “petty.” But he’s absolutely right when he says people miss the point that punishing the weasels is a way of rewarding our allies. By denying France, Russia and Germany from getting contracts in Iraq, we are making it more likely that Japan, Spain, Poland and Britain will get them. They took risks for us and, frankly, this is the least we could do for them. It’s all about carrots for some sticks for others.