France...ignored

I wonder why France is the sole member of NATO NOT on the Defense Planning Committee?...It doesn't seem responsible and it doesn't make sense.

At Least Germany is fulfilling obligations such as work in Afghanistan and now agreed protection for a fellow member...

Why are they in NATO?...

 

France opted out of the NATO integrated defense structure in 1966.....so they have a very limited <i>platform</i> to stand on when NATO contemplates and coordinates military issues.

Here is an article about their decision in 1966 to opt out.

<A HREF="http://www.charles-de-gaulle.org/en/books_art/fiches_t/cdg_otan.htm">De Gaulle and NATO</A>

Here is another article about France - NATO in 1966.

<A HREF="http://www.shape.nato.int/HISTORY.HTM">Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe</A>

<i>.............<b>The Relocation of SHAPE from France to Belgium</b>
On 21 February 1966, President de Gaulle publicly stated he intended to radically alter France's participation in the Atlantic alliance. Shortly after, on 10 March 1966, the French government indicated France would withdraw from NATO's integrated military command structure. NATO and other allied military headquarters and installations therefore had to leave French territory by I April 1967. The majority of French military personnel departed the various NATO military headquarters by I July 1966. However, some French servicemen in communications and support functions remained until 1 October 1966...........</i>

 

Thanks for the information, Mango.

 

NATO - or at least a NATO that includes France - is dead.

France is out. How do you leave out a member country from a consultation session? There is only one way.

France wanted operational control over NATO's military planning, but has been unwilling for 30 years + to actually contribute to NATO's military efforts in a cooperative manner. It's time the b**** came back and bit the w****.

ByeBye, Francoise. Good luck grabbing Gerhardt's nuts. I can only pray that they give you enough leverage to prop you high enougn on FINA's t*** to see the coming oil price plummet...

 

Some interesting bits and pieces from this article:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=564&e=7&u=/nm/20030216/ts_nm/iraq_nato_dc_53

The forum was used to get round French objections during the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) when NATO sent its Allied Command Europe Mobile Force to southeastern Turkey.

FRENCH "FIG-LEAF"

A French NATO mission spokesman said there would be a meeting of the alliance's 19 ambassadors after the defense committee session, though only for a political statement.

He said this meeting would "allow for a reaffirmation of the fact that the allies are ready, of course, to meet their obligations to Turkey according to the (NATO) treaty."

But, in a sign of continued rancor over the veto wielded by France, Germany and Belgium, a senior diplomat from one of the 16-strong majority said he would not back a "fig-leaf" political statement on solidarity with Turkey for Paris to hide behind.

"I for one am not going to be party to some sort of framework shell of a...decision sheet which purports to show solidarity when actually the people who are drafting it have done everything in the last four weeks that demonstrates their claim to solidarity is totally empty," he said.

He also took a swipe at Belgium.

"What's incomprehensible is that the alliance's obligation, the extent to which we can support each other, somehow becomes subject to the whims of individual politicians parading around Brussels yesterday," he said.

The dissenting European allies had insisted it was premature for NATO to take any measures that would imply acceptance of military action against Iraq while U.N. weapons inspectors were still trying to disarm the country peacefully.

But U.S. ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns warned last week that the alliance's credibility was in serious jeopardy.

 

France is "going it alone."

Why again does this country have a permanent seat on the UN's security council? What a mistake...

 

Here is a funny recap that I was e-mailed:

The Complete Military History of France

- Gallic Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

- Hundred Years War - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."

-Italian Wars - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.
- Wars of Religion - France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots

- Thirty Years War - France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.

- War of Devolution - Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.

-The Dutch War - Tied

-War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.

-War of the Spanish Succession - Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.

- American Revolution - In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."

- French Revolution - Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.

- The Napoleonic Wars - Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.

- The Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunken Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

- World War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

-World War II - Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

- War in Indochina - Lost. French forces plead sickness; take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu

- Algerian Rebellion - Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.

- War on Terrorism - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

 

<A HREF="http://www.wpmi.com/Global/story.asp?S=1135802">
Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance</A>

<i>Brussels, Belgium-AP -- French President Jacques Chirac is harshly criticizing eastern European nations who are backing the U-S position on Iraq.

Chirac says the countries -- who signed a letter of support -- are irresponsible and -- quote -- "missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

He warned they may have jeopardized their chances of joining the European Union.

Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined pro-U-S members such as Britain and Italy in taking a hard line on Iraq favored by the U-S.

France argues the moves aggravate splits in the 15-nation E-U and back accusations put forward by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that France and Germany are part of an "old Europe."</i>

 

French magazine

 

Turkey's dying to get into the EU, too, so they're caught in the middle as well.