LAST U.S. MILITARY GROUP EXITS FRANCE
The last U.S. military contingent in France said adieu to the country on Friday with a fittingly [?] low-key ceremony. With European forces taking over peacekeeping in Bosnia, the Americans are being redeployed elsewhere, thus ending a chapter of unsung cooperation between Paris and Washington.Little known even to some experts, the 774th Expeditionary Air Base Group of about 100 airmen wrapped up its decade-long mission at a huge air base in the balmy Mediterranean town of Istres.
"There's nothing symbolic about it," said military expert Etienne de Durand of the French Institute of International Relations in Paris. "This is mainly a technical maneuver."
"If the American government had wanted to annoy the French, it would have used a little more visible method," he said.
To many, the mere presence of U.S. forces on French soil these days may have appeared strange. But since 1994, Istres had served as a launch pad for U.S. KC-135 airborne refueling planes supporting NATO jets enforcing a no-fly zone and some U2 spy planes over the Balkans.
That mission continued quietly in the background of the sharp decline in French-American ties.
"With the crisis over Iraq ... we've been going through a cold period," de Durand said, citing a recent American snub of France for the multinational combat exercise in the United States known as "Red Flag" — to which the French had been invited in previous years.
Mr. Rumsfeld also disinvited the French to Cope Thunder.
Damn, it's about time. Talk about being in a QUAGMIRE!!!. It's been 59 years since VE day and we are just now pulling out our presence as a result of an immoral war we should have never been involved with in the first place. I mean after all Nippon was the country which attacked us that infamous day so who do we go after first? The Germans!?!?! In Africa!?!?!
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Oh but it's all good because the ultimate result was freeing some freaking ungrateful Frogs from the Nazis, right Zoomeridiot. All so they could whine about us freeing a people from the direct descendents (political party wise) of the Nazis. I guess it is another case of what is good for Frogs is bad for others because it is not directly benefiting a bunch of whiny Frogs. In fact it is doubly bad because the Frogs can no longer directly profit from the Nazi descendant party's oil graft, right Zoomeridiot? (I mean come on you've posted enough here Idiot that nothing you could say would shock us, so you might as well tell us the truth. We won't think any less of you. (Not that it would be possible to think any less of you in this reality...))
Imagine no Frogistan (link shamelessly taken from The Corner). What a wonderful world it would be. I know it is on my Christmas list.
I have no idea what you're talking about but go on, you amuse me.
Idiot, what part don't you understand?
The first paragraph was a direct juxtaposition of our actions during the start of WWII and the current WoT. The only difference is our actions in WWII saved your whiny rear ends from speaking german.
The second paragraph is a juxtaposition of *your country's* actions during WWII and the current WoT. The Ba'ath party is a direct political descendent from the Nazi party. Just as your nation collaborated with the Nazis in the 40's you collaborated with the Ba'aths in the 90's and 00's.
The third paragraph gives a link to a wonderful looking map of Europe.
So again I ask. What part don't you understand, Moron?
The only difference is our actions in WWII saved your whiny rear ends from speaking german.
blah blah blah... Our actions in Yorktown and Cheseapeake saved you from eating British food, a far worse fate. Merry Christmas, asshole!
Idiot, the "help" during the Revolutionary War was nothing more than a mea culpa because of frogish actions during the Frog-Indian war. It is good to know that at one point Frogs had some sense of honor, small as it was.
Speaking of Frogish collaboration a very timely article popped up on Yahoo!
A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS: Anyone wondering how the struggle for the soul of Islam could play out in America should look to Europe. Islamic traditions and beliefs are prompting Europeans to re-evaluate practices and laws as well as prized principles, such as the separation of church and state. Nowhere is this more evident than in France, now home to the largest Islamic community on the continent. For the 11th part of this occasional series, a Tribune reporter traveled to a Paris suburb to examine the future that Europe is straining to handle.Hey Idiot enjoy the Shira system about to be implimented in your country. Hey, it's a twofer, Frogs getting back to their religious roots (Replace the Pope with Allah) and more practice of collaboration with foreigners. The Islamic Republic of Frogistan... I give you all 20 years before you submit.
Opps that should be a Sharia system. Allah forbid I should be disrespectful of the Muslims and get their legal/religious law system wrong.
Idiot, the "help" during the Revolutionary War was nothing more than a mea culpa because of frogish actions during the Frog-Indian war.
And where did you pull that one from, genius? Read Franklin's biographies and other related works. France was the only nation capable of funding and fighting a war against England at that time. Simple, really.
There goes one of the best damn TDY's in the AF. Best per diem, best location. A real money maker. I've heard all the stories of the nude beaches, day trips to Monaco, etc. Ah well, fuck the french. God Bless America, our troops and Mr. Bush.
What part are you having trouble understanding now, Idiot? Are you disputing that France and the Indians fought the colonies (us Americans) 20 years before the Revolutionary War?
Yes Idiot your country fought against England during the period of the Revolutionary war as part of a wider European civil war. (Really when have you "enlightened" Europeans ever been at peace?) However the "help" (wow all these "scare quotes" kinda makes me feel like Reuters...) of the Frogs was limited compared to the wider war. Froggish meddling during the French-Indian war was more extensive. And our actions during WWI and WWII were more of a commitment in treasure, material, and manpower as a percentage of the base (money, stuff, and people) of the time.
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And Theresa you are right about the location of Red Flag. I can see the walls of Nellis AFB from my apartment with awesome views of the planes taking off and landing. It's a great base.
fuck the french. God Bless America
Tssk Tssk... I wonder what Jeeezus would say about that...
Are you disputing that France and the Indians fought the colonies (us Americans) 20 years before the Revolutionary War?
Did I dispute it?
However the "help" (wow all these "scare quotes" kinda makes me feel like Reuters...) of the Frogs was limited compared to the wider war.
"Limited" if you want (so was the US in WW1 in that case), but crucial (Yorktown and Chesapeake Bay, also the training of the colonial army). I don't have the figures with me but the amount of cash in gold from France was huge for the times and went on secretly way before the French landed, draining the strugling French economy down further. Don't be so sour, Cannon-fart, you should be grateful and lick my shoes... Maybe we can be friends after?
"Can we be friends after?" Sure Idiot right after you bend over and kiss my rear.
"Limited US involvement in WWI" Ok fine. We were as active in WWI as you were in the Rev War. Call it even. So let's see. We would have won the RW sooner or later. (After all our first war loss didn't happen until 200 years later.) Whereas you frogs would have lost WWI without our reinforcements. (Up until now Frogistan hasn't won a conflict without outside influence.) As far as WWII you all had *already surrendered*, gave up the ghost, bravely ran away. We saved your country despite your best efforts.
Don't forget what happened the last time France had to defend herself
"Because fighting to the end isn't your style"
Like Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia?
Vietnam, Lebanon, Somilia. Yep 200 years after the Rev War. These are -cConflicts during the TV era. Conflicts during the UN Era. (Korea which was the 1st test of the UN was a tie, in fact the "peace" is still held in place only by a cease fire. A cease fire much like Iraq from 1991 to 2003.) Our problem is that we allow ourselves to give too much weight to outside thoughts and no enough to winning.
What's Frogistan's excuse for not winning?
These are -cConflicts during the TV era
You bailed out, you lost. Such is war.
What's Frogistan's excuse for not winning?
Which war? French military history goes back 2000 years, not 200. And ironically, the 400,000 strong Muslim advance to Europe was crushed by the Franks in the 9th century. Google "Charles Martel" for a bit of history.
"You bailed out, you lost. Such is war."
Ummm yes. Which is what I said. We cut and ran from Vietnam, Lebanon, and Somilia. We have lost most conflicts (Panama and Grenada excepted) during the TV era. You Frogs have perfected bailing out and losing.
We have bailed frogistan out three times (WWI, WWII, Indochina) even after they attacked us once (F-I war) and bailed us out once (RW). Hmmm the balance of the scales seems to be lacking here. But I got it, let's free Saddam, put him back in power, reinstate the oil deals the Frogs had with Iraq, and that should balance the scales and allow us to lick Idiot's shoes, right?
Zoomer is right on this one, France saved us from being Canadian, and we saved France from being Nazi. Sounds about even.
