French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said that despite recent tensions, France and the United States would always be united whenever their essential liberties were threatened. While the two countries may at times have conflicting interests, she said Friday, "each time that the essential, that is, liberty, democracy and the security of our people, was at stake, we were always together."She cited this "profound friendship" and the long-standing cooperation between the nations' intelligence communities as vital to combatting terrorism. "Our special forces have always continued to combat terrorism side by side, for example, in Afghanistan," she said, though recently there has been some question as to whether France will pull its special forces out of the country. Alliot-Marie told The Associated Press that France is in the midst of discussions regarding the continued presence of French special forces, which are under separate command from the NATO troops in Afghanistan. "The forces in Afghanistan are in the process of being completely reorganized," she said. "We are in the middle of talking with all the countries who have special forces" in the country.
In a speech to the French-American Foundation, she said that European-American cooperation is essential for addressing the "clash" between the West and the rest of the world. The speech came on the second day of her tour of the U.S., during which she has emphasized the need for France and the United States to work closely in matters of security. "In a multi-polar world, it is essential that Europe and the United States may bring answers together," she said, speaking in English.
Alliot-Marie said that much of what some term a "clash of civilizations" is in fact simply a "clash of interests." She said the West must work to convince others of its point of view, and respect nonwestern perspectives, rather than seek to impose its will, as it has in the past through colonization.