Article

2004-10-17 Europe

France Was Ready to Send Troops to Iraq, Book Says

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Posted by Anonymoose 2004-10-17 5:13:13 PM|| || Front Page|| [11134 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 What would they have done? Supported the Brits? With our IFF gear turned on, the battlefield would have been a very dangerous place for the frogs.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-10-17 8:53:45 PM|| 2004-10-17 8:53:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 IFF stands for Identify Friend or French?

Posted by SteveS 2004-10-17 9:03:31 PM|| 2004-10-17 9:03:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 The French do not have 10-15k well-trained and equipped soldiers that they can field in a distant war theater. They can send a few hundred soldiers at a time, usually Legionnaires at that.

Posted by Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-17 9:20:26 PM|| [http://radio.weblogs.com/0103811/categories/currentEvents/] 2004-10-17 9:20:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Would you complain about the Legionnaires?

Posted by Edward Yee 2004-10-17 9:25:17 PM|| [http://edwardyee.fanworks.net] 2004-10-17 9:25:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I call "bullshit"

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-10-17 9:29:28 PM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2004-10-17 9:29:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 hey! Where is the bull on the toilet graphic?

Posted by 2b 2004-10-17 9:31:13 PM|| 2004-10-17 9:31:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 SPoD, spot on!

Pure, unadulterated fecal matter.

Posted by Memesis 2004-10-17 9:33:58 PM|| 2004-10-17 9:33:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 "Ooh, ooh, we were going to help, but Mssr. deVillepin's little poodle ate our deployment plans. Tres tragique!"

Posted by Matt 2004-10-17 10:15:16 PM|| 2004-10-17 10:15:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Should'a, would'a if they could'a, can't so they ain't. I doubt the Euro-weenie blo-fish could field 1.5k, much less than 15k, lol.

Posted by Atropanthe 2004-10-17 10:34:25 PM|| 2004-10-17 10:34:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Yes, I'd complain about the not-so-French Legionnaires.

Have they done anything decent in combat over the last 25 years? do they speak proper English? are they equipped to fight alongside with anglo-saxon forces?

Posted by Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-17 10:35:24 PM|| [http://radio.weblogs.com/0103811/categories/currentEvents/] 2004-10-17 10:35:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 The French do have a Rapid Deployment element, an airborne regiment and an armored corp (division) Their level of readiness is another matter, but they do maintain such a force.

Posted by badanov 2004-10-17 10:39:12 PM|| [http://www.rkka.org/title-boris.gif] 2004-10-17 10:39:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Remember how various French generals went public before the liberation of Iraq, claiming that the Coalition did not have enough troops and would certainly suffer terrible losses at the hands of Saddam's mighty army. Would you want such "soldiers" on your side?

Posted by Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-17 10:42:51 PM|| [http://radio.weblogs.com/0103811/categories/currentEvents/] 2004-10-17 10:42:51 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 I am not taking issue with anything except to say France does maintain a rapid reaction force. Not talking about the quality of the troops but pointing out that the level of readiness is unknown.

Posted by badanov 2004-10-17 10:50:29 PM|| [http://www.rkka.org/title-boris.gif] 2004-10-17 10:50:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 I'll believe it when they wrap up the turmoil in the Sudan; or did they take back their offer to help?

Posted by smn 2004-10-17 10:53:16 PM|| 2004-10-17 10:53:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Oopsie!

I guess the French did disband their rapid deployment force in 1996 and just maintain headquarters for maintenence of those forces.

Sorry for the error.

Posted by badanov 2004-10-17 10:58:14 PM|| [http://www.rkka.org/title-boris.gif] 2004-10-17 10:58:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 I concour, 10-15k is almost all French operational combat army , and after 1 month in field from where it will came the refresh troops and equipment? If this was true a brigade was more likely. They have send the Daguet division in 1991 streching all their forces even without cold war cuts.

Posted by Anonymous6361 2004-10-17 10:58:30 PM|| 2004-10-17 10:58:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 The US Army was attacking through a sandstorm as things were.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2004-10-17 11:16:29 PM|| [http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2004-10-17 11:16:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 France was ready to send troops to Iraq?

But for which side?

Posted by CrazyFool 2004-10-17 11:43:46 PM|| 2004-10-17 11:43:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Have they done anything decent in combat over the last 25 years?

Various operations in Africa and Gulf War I. They did quite well in the latter.

do they speak proper English?

Probably no worse than any other non-English speaking country. They're supposed to be able to work with NATO units.

are they equipped to fight alongside with anglo-saxon forces?

It used to be that they were like the USMC in that they got the cast-off stuff. I gather they are pretty much equipped as any other French Infantry or Paratrooper unit. They're certainly more hard-core than any other French unit.

Posted by Pappy 2004-10-17 11:55:33 PM|| 2004-10-17 11:55:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 The french army is modern, well equipped and well trained.

It consists of several branches; Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (including naval air), Air Force (including Air Defense) and they spend 45 thousand million Euros on it a year. So yes, i think they could easily have fielded the troops.

And before the uber patriots kick in its not because the US gives them money (they don't) and its not because they are worse equipped or trained than US forces (they aren't).

Posted by AthiestSocialist!! 2004-10-18 12:09:33 AM|| 2004-10-18 12:09:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#21 Whether France actually intended to send troops is less relevant to where, when and in what capacity. Mitterrand also sent a token French force to the Gulf in 1991. It remained far from the front and provided no real tactical help whatsoever. Purely a political stunt.

I recall France sending its only aircraft carrier from the mediterranean base at Toulon (it's next to a big nudist colony) on maneuvers suddenly in early 2003. Don't know whether it ever came close to Suez, though.

Posted by lex 2004-10-18 12:02:02 PM|| 2004-10-18 12:02:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 Impossible. Recall that Chirac stated on camera that war is never justified. If war is never justified, why would they have sent troops?

Where is Voltaire when you need him?

Posted by Jules 187 2004-10-18 12:13:37 PM|| 2004-10-18 12:13:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 Do you mean this aircraft carrier, Lex?

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-10-18 12:16:16 PM|| 2004-10-18 12:16:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 The very one. As Mrs D's link points out, aside from a few commandoes parachuting into central or west Africa, the prospect of French military assistance is a joke. The potential help of the Turks is/was far more valuable in Iraq than anything France could have offered.

Posted by lex 2004-10-18 12:21:07 PM|| 2004-10-18 12:21:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 Lex-Do you recall how the Turks pulled the rug out from under us at the beginning of Operations Iraqi Freedom? One more false ally-we need them like we need the bubonic plague.

Posted by Jules 187 2004-10-18 12:35:45 PM|| 2004-10-18 12:35:45 PM|| Front Page Top

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