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Europe
EU Backs France’s ‘Mutual Defense’ Request
2015-11-18
European ministers backed France’s request to trigger the bloc’s mutual defense clause Tuesday, opening the way for assistance to help Paris boost security at home and reinforce its overseas operations. French President François Hollande on Monday requested the activation of the European Union treaty’s self-defense clause, which commits governments to help a member that is “the victim of armed aggression.”

The clause had never been invoked before, leaving unclear the level of assistance member states will feel compelled to provide.

French officials have said they don’t want to invoke the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mutual-defense clause, arguing the current U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State is more nimble. There are also concerns that invoking the NATO treaty, which was only done once, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the U.S., could serve as a propaganda boost for Islamic State.
Personally I'd worry a lot less about a "propaganda boost" for ISIS and more about rallying the home town folks...
However, while EU assistance for France’s efforts to scale up domestic security should be straightforward, there may be more wariness about direct support for its military attacks on Islamic State.
Because war is ucky...
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called the French decision to activate the mutual-defense clause “first of all, a political act, a political message.”
War is a political act too, but at some point you start slitting throats and collecting heads...
She said the tool is mainly intended to intensify bilateral cooperation but that the EU is given some role in coordinating those efforts. She said many ministers had already announced offers of “material assistance” that could help free up French capabilities.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, two French officials said Paris hoped triggering the self-defense clause would prod the bloc to advance its work on other security issues, including better border control and increased intelligence-sharing.
Posted by:Pappy

#4  Ditto US = POTUS Obama???

FEar NOTTETH, MARIANNE [Nostradamus = France = Guam = "Deepest Part of the West"], POTUS OBAMA'S LONE USN DESTROYER + TWO B-52'S ARE COMING!

To stop the ISIS in France-EU like it stopped China's island reclamations in the SCS [not].!
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2015-11-18 22:18  

#3  Won't it be a bit awkward without also removing Turkey?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2015-11-18 16:08  

#2  EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called the French decision to activate the mutual-defense clause “first of all, a political act, a political message.”

Nailed it in one. It's also a pretty good smack at Germany, and perhaps just as significantly, a very pointed signal that Hollande is placing some mileage between Paris and the Washington.
Posted by: Pappy   2015-11-18 13:53  

#1  EU Backs France’s ‘Mutual Defense’ Request - That America Save Us Again.

Meanwhile we'll allocate our monies to more socialist programs rather than defense.

FIFY
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-11-18 12:51  

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