BBC reports today that France will rejoin the NATO integrated military command. President de Gaulle withdraw France from the command in 1966 because it supposedly underminded French sovereignty. This should strengthen NATO significantly, given that France has one of the best militaries in Europe, and is one of the biggest contributors to UN and peace keeping missions. These troops will now come under NATO command. As an example, France has 3000 troops currently in Afghanistan who will now be fully integrated within the NATO mission there.
What, if any, impact will this have on the NATO mission in Afghanistan?
Is this just another step on the road towards a single, unified EU military force?
Is this also another sign of a rapprochement between Europe and the US?
Any other comments you think are relevant or interesting?
If anything this would have to be a blow to Russia and China...For a while now it has been Russia and China on one side...USA and Britain on the other and France hovering around in the middle...I refer to them in the context of the permenent members of the UN security council. France's recentishly(if thats a word) new President also proclaimed that he wanted closer ties with the USA. I guess the biggest question is how will Russia take this...The other post a little above this one has a bit about Russia slipping back into Soviet era which I believe is true. And recent tension between the USA and China cant help either... ALso USA and Russia have been having some trouble about US plans to put that missile defense silo in Poland...Who knows how this will all play out...
ReplyDeleteThis is a big step between the American-French relations because since Charles De Gaulle France has showed itself hostile to the US. And in a certain way, France was exclude by the States concerning deployment of troops in Afghanistan or even in economic trade.
ReplyDeleteBut now, Nicolas sarkozy has announced that his mission in the French-American relations is to overtake the UK's position in Europe. It want to make of France the new big ally of the US. This is a total breaf out from old french policies. But in another way, Sarkozy's wish make Europe weaker because the USA just want an economic union between the europeans states not a military union.
I dont know if anyone reads down this far anymore but it appears the vote to rejoin Nato passed yesterday in the French Parliament though not from 100% support from his own party...the final vote was 329-238...Its to bad this blog site doesnt bump stuff up to the top that would help alot...
ReplyDeleteSevod, things don' get bumped up but I will notice when you post far down and you can always make a new post.
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