France WAS In Favor of Afghanistan Phase, Right?

[Annie]

Now this attempt to block help and make NATO relevant:

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle....SPOHC2CRBAE0CFFA?type=topNews&storyID=5541266

France Blocks U.S. on Elite Force for Afghanistan

Tue Jun 29, 2004 08:27 AM ET

By John Chalmers
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - France has blocked a U.S. bid to deploy NATO's new strike force to safeguard Afghanistan's elections, stoking tension between the two allies that fell out over the Iraq war, diplomats said Tuesday.

"France, and to a lesser extent others such as Spain, are suspicious about using the NATO Response Force (NRF)," said one envoy at the alliance summit in Istanbul.....

 

[5stringJeff]

Why, oh why, can't we dump France? If we booted France from NATO, the EU could very well split, and France (with maybe socialist Spain and a couple other old Europe countries) would be standing alone.

 

[Jule]

Originally posted by gop_jeff
Why, oh why, can't we dump France? If we booted France from NATO, the EU could very well split, and France (with maybe socialist Spain and a couple other old Europe countries) would be standing alone.

It might eventually be in our national interests to split up NATO, but I'm not sure thats yet the case. Although I dont like the French. When I was in Europe, albeit a while ago, the French were generally a**holes, while the Germans were nice to a fault--I ask for directions in Germany, they say follow me. In France, you get yelled at for even being an American. But France has been an American ally forever--we've fought England and Germany, but have we ever gotten into a shooting war with France? Hard to write off such an old ally, even if you are very, very, very frustrated with them. And they did give us the Statue of Liberty, big points for that.

 

[Palestinian Jew]

I think it is time to completely ignore France, and this is coming from someone that totally opposed this war, but realty is realty and we are fighting and have to win for Iraq's sake. If the French can't face realty, than I say dump them.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by Palestinian Jew
I think it is time to completely ignore France, and this is coming from someone that totally opposed this war, but realty is realty and we are fighting and have to win for Iraq's sake. If the French can't face realty, than I say dump them.

:clap1: :clap1:

While I think we should put a bit more pressure than ignoring, glad to see there is some sanity from the left of center. Bravo.

 

[5stringJeff]

Agreed. Rock on PJ!

 

[HGROKIT]

Originally posted by Jule
...but have we ever gotten into a shooting war with France?

Gee, there's a thought

 

[NightTrain]

Something has to be done about France. They need to be relegated to a lesser seat in the UNSC and NATO, and if this is not done, they will render both bodies as effective as the League of Nations was prior to WWII.

Hell, I guess they already have.

Time to remove them, beginning right after the November elections. A seat & voice with as much influence as, say, Bulgaria would be fitting.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by NightTrain
Something has to be done about France. They need to be relegated to a lesser seat in the UNSC and NATO, and if this is not done, they will render both bodies as effective as the League of Nations was prior to WWII.

Hell, I guess they already have.

Time to remove them, beginning right after the November elections. A seat & voice with as much influence as, say, Bulgaria would be fitting.

:clap1: :clap1: :clap1:

 

[NATO AIR]

their pathetic attempts to regain and relieve past glory are now endangering the security and prosperity interests of the world at large.

i would suggest Poland over France any day.

Then if Spain's left of center (no common sense) gov't that pulled troops out of Spain wants to join them, I'll take Hungary, Bulgaria or Romania over them any day.

NATO is bungling Afghanistan anyway/

 

[5stringJeff]

Originally posted by NATO AIR
i would suggest Poland over France any day.

Poland or Germany. I don't know what it would take to boot France as one of the 5 permanent members of the UNSC, but I'm sure they won't leave without putting up a fight.

Hell, we ought to give their seat to India. It's the world's largest democracy and second largest country.

 

[HGROKIT]

Originally posted by gop_jeff
Hell, we ought to give their seat to India. It's the world's largest democracy and second largest country.

That'd go over like a fart in church! I can hear Pakistan and several other Muslim countires now. There is not one on the permanent council now.

 

[NATO AIR]

We ought to put Iraq or Turkey on there, along with India. India is our natural ally and I have no idea why folks in Washington can't forgive the past and just get over it...Pakistan is a miiltary dictatorship over a terrorist state... India is a multicultural, natural democracy with policy interests close to ours (fighting terrorism, keeping an eye on China, etc etc)


and we could put Iraq or Turkey in a new Security Council, or both. Throw Poland in there too.