If France goes all-in against ISIS it may prove to be an ice-breaker in East/West relations. I should say that by ‘all-in’ I mean troops in theatre and not just the air force, DGSE officers/agents and drone strikes.
France and Russia have had a more positive than negative relationship for a long time; before WWI, through the Communist era, and currently.
The Paris bombings change the channel on the actions taking place in Iraq and Syria. If, as President Hollande said, it’s war, then the strategic mission changes for the French. It moves from regime change and stability, as the US led mission is focused on, to eradication of ISIS. A goal the Russians share.
But can the West (read: Obama, Kerry), in supporting France, work with Russia in the near term to focus on ISIS?
For once I agree with the Russians. Why does the US want to get rid of Assad so badly? They’ve already given Iran everything and Assad is just a proxy for Iran so what’s the beef with him? Is it because of human rights violations? Will that get any better than the group that would replace him? As they say, the people always get the governments they deserve and maybe these people deserve Assad and deserve him good and hard.
Not be a bore, I did post this link elsewhere on this site, but I think it fits right here on this entry …. for a laugh …
Surrender Monkey
A couple of problems with sending the French Army. After the Napoleanic wars, the French constitution guarantees that no citizen can be forced to fight outside of France, hence the Foreign Legion. Any boots on the ground in Syria would have to volunteers from the regular army and whatever part of the Foreign Legion that can be spared. Also there are a lot of Muslims in the French Army, as many as 1 in 5. There could very well be a mutiny.
Forget the US of A doing anything. Kerry is an idiot an Obomber is anti-West (if not an actual muslim)..
True, but luckily the French can count on Canadian support, being a fellow francophonie. (sarc off)
oblama, kerry and oblama lite (aka turdoe II) will blame the french for killing those six or seven poor refugees in Paris. Can’t have people defending themselves against the anointed ones now, can we?
If they don’t stop Muslim immigration and Muslim family repatriation, they aren’t all in.
Lilley: “Minister Sajjan may have done exemplary work dealing with Afghan villagers loyal to the Taliban but ISIS is a much different beast.” Not that much different, in fact hardly different at all; so his stupid comments are not cancelled out by his work in Afghanistan for which we are thankful to him and the others who have served. It doesn’t mean we have to accept his ludicrous view or give them any weight.
Nice site! 😉
No. Not at all.
The House of Saud have a deal with the west. They will sell oil at discount rates in return for military assistance in eliminating any threats to their dominance of the Middle East, and effective immunity from international law.
Most western countries need oil to stay cheap for their economies to be able to function at all and still permit the preductive classes to pay crushing taxes and huge interest charges on private and public debt. Lowering taxes, huge cuts to welfare states and radical reform to financial systems, allowing preductive people to keep more of what they earned, wasn’t an option the already rich and powerful were willing to consider.
They took the deal. A few poors getting killed now and again was thought a small price to pay.
Eliminating ISIS and other groups of their ilk won’t be an option till the House of Saud are liquidated. The US won’t allow that to happen if there is any way of preventing it. They certainly won’t help Russia or any other countries who mean business about keeping their people’s safe from Islam.
That would be the case even if Russia had no oil. As it is, putting the Sauds out of business and an end to Saudi dumping of oil will go a long way towards making Russia the prosperous country it would have been decades ago had communism not intervened—and the most powerful country, economically and politically, in Europe.
Watching blue welfare states go belly-up one by one and poor whites start new lives on the oil patch—and start voting Republican—will be bad enough for President Hillary Clinton. Having to explain who lost Europe and why gas is $10 a gallon will be worse.
Maybe France will join Russia and get on with the men’s work. The US? Maybe the day Hillary and Huma keep Purim.
He despises America and western civilization and has used all his powers to weaken them. He’s on the other side.
They have quite a lot, actually. The Foreign Legion has 4 regiments, plus 1 lt armour regiment, 1 parachute regiment, plus the 13th Demi Brigade in Abu Dhabi. Each consists of 2-3 battalions. Except for a detachment in Guyana and the 13th Bde, all are stationed in France right now. By itself, that’s more than half the size of the army the US overran Iraq in 2003.
The issue for France if it really wants to make a large effort against ISIS won’t be an absolute shortage of troops. It will be logistics and especially shortage of money. France is not that far from very serious fiscal problems. It will also have to increase military presence in metropolitan France to ensure there’s no revolt in the ‘bourgs that gets out of hand. That means keeping much of the regular army at home.
Also, France is responsible for backstopping the military security of a lot of north African states.
That’s truly awful, J.
As long as the muslim is still in charge in the white house the whole western world should be wary.
Run run run run away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikMiQZF-mAY
I agree with Lance. If Hollande is serious, and not just pontificating for his position, this will most likely change the war in the Levant to the extent that we can only guess at.
Long range though, the west is losing the war for western civilization, and unless the people wake up and send their appeaser politicians packing we are done.
France and Russia have had a more positive than negative relationship for a long time;
Yep, during the 1939-1940 phony war period the French Communists were listening to Good Old Joe Stalin about not fighting his buddies the Nazis, and were actively sabotaging the French munitions industry and formenting rebellion in the French Army and Navy. That did not change until June 1941. What happened in June 1941?
Kerry speaks perfect French, that will help him understand.
LOL people. Really. These are the french. They have now made history by declaring war after they have been invaded and surrendered instead of before. What we are seeing now is the victors collecting the spoils of war ie your life and culture and spaces..
Margaret Gagne Berger
The French had their ass’s kicked in the brutal Algerian war. That is why most of southern France today is a huge Algerian & North African demographic that squatted there for a better life.
Anyway, the point is “France” is not going to do jack-shit in the Middle East any more than what they “accomplished” in Algeria. In fact now that they have let in the Muslim world they are HOSTAGES to Islam in their own country.
Sound familiar? It should because it’s exactly what the US and the rest of the western world has been doing for decades with “Open Borders”.
If the west attacks a country today, you have an unlimited amount of terrorists within your own borders ready to terrorize and murder your citizens – By Liberal invitation no less.