WASHINGTON, D.C. - The State Department has alerted its counterparts in France and England that it is sending a "Good Neighbor Exchange" of ships for the Concorde now enroute to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, located on the Hudson River shore of Manhattan. The press release says in part, "We ask our foreign friends to accept these historical ships as a token of our appreciation for their contributions to aerospace history."

France and England have both refused to accept the "gifts", however. French President Jacques Chirac said, "These 'historic ships' are the same ones that were slowly traversing the Atlantic on their way to being dismantled for environmental purposes, aren't they?" Similarly, Tony Blair in a rare statement against American interests said, "This isn't quite a gift, is it? The Concorde is a three-dimensional historical document, to be viewed by an awestruck public. These ships are steel toxin bins, to be dismantled while wearing protective gear. Comparison is simply not possible."

President Bush stood behind the gift, saying, "The American people have extended the hand of friendship, sharing our culture and our history with our progenitors. We didn't expect that hand to be slapped."

Existing contracts to dismantle the ships have not been rescinded, said an insider at the firm.
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