Article

2005-10-12 Europe

US, German generals: European leaders 'lack political will' to improve military capabilities

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Posted by lotp 2005-10-12 10:45|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 It's not just militray capabilities that "European leaders" lack the will to deal with.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-10-12 10:55|| 2005-10-12 10:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Thank G*d for small favors.

Posted by gromgoru 2005-10-12 11:05|| 2005-10-12 11:05|| Front Page Top

#3 "I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me," Patton.

NATO is, for the most part, a dead alliance. Cut most of Europe off and let them find their own path.

Posted by mmurray821 2005-10-12 11:48|| 2005-10-12 11:48|| Front Page Top

#4 You know, since old Europe could be conquered right now with a butter knife and a scowl, why is Turkey asking to be a member of the EU? Maybe they should just conquer it and move the European Parliament to Istanbul.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-10-12 12:26|| 2005-10-12 12:26|| Front Page Top

#5 What would they do with it after they got it? They'd have all those civilians asking for their pension payments.

Posted by Pharong Angavinter5304 2005-10-12 12:33|| 2005-10-12 12:33|| Front Page Top

#6 You know, since old Europe could be conquered right now with a butter knife and a scowl, why is Turkey asking to be a member of the EU?

Because Turkey's in even worse shape.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2005-10-12 12:48|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2005-10-12 12:48|| Front Page Top

#7 That would be the final nail in the coffin for most EU socialist countries. I don't see any of those economies being able to support any kind of legitimate military.

Posted by macofromoc 2005-10-12 13:00|| 2005-10-12 13:00|| Front Page Top

#8 Now, what was the number of EU batallions in "Category 1"?

Posted by Curt Simon 2005-10-12 13:36|| 2005-10-12 13:36|| Front Page Top

#9 Put a bullet in NATO's head and be done with it.

It's a dirty little secret that most European countries still have a draft. If the USA even came close to anything like that, there'd be riots. But in Europe, being conscripted is evidently A-OK.

Posted by gromky">gromky 2005-10-12 15:12|| http://communistposters.com/]">[http://communistposters.com/] 2005-10-12 15:12|| Front Page Top

#10 "I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me," Patton.

Probably apocryphal. In his book about Patton, Martin Blumenson who BTW, was in Patton's staff and was one of the main writers in the US Military official story about WWII, tells that Patton was quite a francophile, was unhappy the task of liberating Paris not being assigned to him and of his good relations with De Gaulle and Leclerc (who unlike other French generals was totally untainted of Vychism: he was wounded during the 1940 campaign, escaped from the german hospital where he was captive and went straight to England)

Of course it is possible that Patton was talking about the Vichy French who opened fire on the disembarking Americans and that the Roosevelt administration kept on cajoling and trying to keep in power for nearly a year after Torch.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2005-10-12 16:22|| 2005-10-12 16:22|| Front Page Top

#11 JFM -

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mr. Roosevelt invaded neutral French territories in North Africa. We were not in a declared war with France. In fact, diplomatic relations were open with Vichy till the 'surprise' attack occurred.

Posted by Hupitle Omagum6244 2005-10-12 16:42|| 2005-10-12 16:42|| Front Page Top

#12 Most of the American senior command was Francophile before the war and, if not also before, became Anglophobic after working closely with the Brits in WWII. Amazing how the French have built on that base of goodwill.

Posted by Ometh Hupaick9169 2005-10-12 16:55|| 2005-10-12 16:55|| Front Page Top

#13 Humphyle

I am not referring to America invading French North Africa but at what happenned later, the "Darlan" episode could be understood (Darlan could do a lot more to help the Allies than teh Free French. (BTW Darlan, who was once deemed an arch-traitor was rehabilitated in the 60s by none other than De Gaulle) but well after his murder the Roosevelt administration kept trying to push in the front scene everyone who was hostile to De Gaulle even people as burned like George (who was the second in command during the 1940 campaign) or compromised with old regime. Patton could have been displeased about having behind him units commanded by those former collaborationists so loved by Roosevelt's people.

Another hypothesis I didn't mention: the copy (in French) from the Blumenson book I had in hands was tampered by the translator

Posted by JFM">JFM 2005-10-12 17:32|| 2005-10-12 17:32|| Front Page Top

#14

US, German generals: European leaders 'lack political will' to improve military capabilities

Here, ltop, let me correct that for you:

US, German generals: European leaders 'lack political will' ~~to improve military capabilities~~

Accuracy in reporting is so important. :-D

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2005-10-12 18:56|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2005-10-12 18:56|| Front Page Top

#15 Shouldn't this entry have the "Master of the Obvious" graphic appended to it?

Posted by Ernest Brown 2005-10-12 21:46|| saturninretrograde.blogspot.com]">[saturninretrograde.blogspot.com] 2005-10-12 21:46|| Front Page Top

#16 HHHHhmmmmmmmmmmm, can FRANCE, whose Lefties and Radicals were historically the most pro-USSR/Soviet of all the Euros, be counted on to save democratic Europe from the Commies-for Fascism-for-Commmunism!?

Posted by JosephMendiola 2005-10-13 00:01|| 2005-10-13 00:01|| Front Page Top

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