Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 05/30/2003 View Thu 05/29/2003 View Wed 05/28/2003 View Tue 05/27/2003 View Mon 05/26/2003 View Sun 05/25/2003 View Sat 05/24/2003
1
2003-05-30 Europe
European Rapid Reaction Force
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by 11A5S 2003-05-30 01:16 pm|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 "Months, not days" For the EUnuchs, I guess that counts as rapid.
Posted by Rex Mundi 2003-05-30 14:15:22||   2003-05-30 14:15:22|| Front Page Top

#2 Oh, yeah. They're ready. Kinda. Maybe. Well, maybe if the Poles act up. Nah, not really.
Posted by tu3031 2003-05-30 14:24:34||   2003-05-30 14:24:34|| Front Page Top

#3 I see a real livewire joint venture getting ramped up: Kofi and the UN supported by the EU "RRFs" and their strategic lifters. If you depend up them in a crisis, better give yourself last rites and save everyone time. Geeze! What a bunch of clowns. They don't even have any hanger queens to do anything with.
Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-05-30 16:38:42||   2003-05-30 16:38:42|| Front Page Top

#4 
Without it's own strategic lift capability, the RRF would be dependent of NATO to move anywhere.

Which means, as usual, the EUridiots will be dependent on UK and US assets to do anything.
I'm certain we will help the ungrateful bastards.
I just can't figure out why.

I feel horrible, but I just despise the letters E and U, and I gag everytime I hear the word "France" or "Europe".
I'd never known what if felt like to hate someone or something, but now I do.

the major stumbling block to RRF deployments may be finding a consensus, not suitable transport planes. The EU could send a small force for a short period of time, but added that the decision would take them "months, not days.

See how useless they are?

How much would you bet that they could reach a consensus on how much they hate Americans and Jews?
God, I really do despise these asshats.
Posted by Celissa  2003-05-30 18:30:23|| [www.celissasblog.com/weblog.php]  2003-05-30 18:30:23|| Front Page Top

#5 I hear that there's plenty of excess capacity on the C-17 line...

Let them wait for their Airbus military transport. After all, they're probably subsidizing that too....
Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-05-30 21:50:33||   2003-05-30 21:50:33|| Front Page Top

#6 I'd say you are too hard on European forces. Never forget our armies were trained to withstand a continental onslaught and fight back Soviet invaders. And I guess NATO would have done quite a good job (although maybe Europe might have gone up in nuclear smoke).
European military still has to adapt to a new role (it hasn't really found yet).
I'd say you find some damn good pilots in the German Luftwaffe (their Texan friends will agree with me) and other parts of the (German) military do a fine job as well. (The Germany Navy divers are some of the toughest guys you will find (including the Navy Seals)
For example German military did a good job patrolling the Horn of Africa, bringing relief to flood stricken Mozambique, leading ISAF in Afghanistan.
It's easy to laugh at the current state of European military. The U.S. always assumed a global role, hence its superiority. Europe does not want this global role (which could only lead to conflict with the U.S.).
And before you laugh too hard at all this: Can't you spare a few troops for Congo? After all, the U.S. is pretty much involved with liberating countries, so stopping a genocide with a few of the best troops in the world might do wonders in international opinion.
After all, Iraq wasn't about oil, right? (No sarcasm intended).
Posted by True German Ally 2003-05-30 23:46:18||   2003-05-30 23:46:18|| Front Page Top

#7 "And I guess NATO would have done quite a good job (although maybe Europe might have gone up in nuclear smoke). European military still has to adapt to a new role (it hasn't really found yet)."

Problems with that statement:

Have you noticed the rather heavy contingient of US forces that were and are still in Europe to support NATO (The # has gone down with the Soviet collapse but we're still here.) We are the backbone of NATO.

Great Britian aside, the European military has had no real role since the cold war. and even then it was basically "look tough, try to survive, and give'em hell." but at the same time they spent, and continue to spend, squat on their military. The entire European continent doesn't spend as much as the US in defense and related areas. Until they realize that the speed factor for their RRF will be directly propotional to the money they put into it, they will be doomed! If RRF is the role they want, fine, but they can't be half hearted about it.

As for the Congo...

1) Spank you colonial Europe for creating this mess to begin with.

2) Yeah, I'll probably come into work on Monday and the boss will tell me that that's the next NATO meals on wheels project and I get to help...
Posted by Tremor  2003-05-31 00:32:03||   2003-05-31 00:32:03|| Front Page Top

#8 But TGA,wouldn't that make the U.S.a bunch of Unilaterial,Hegmonic,Imperialist bastards.

It's all about diamonds(opps oil)don't ya know.
Posted by Raptor  2003-05-31 06:48:13||   2003-05-31 06:48:13|| Front Page Top

#9 One more thing(if memory serves me right)the lion's share of blame lays with"Good King Leopold"(you know our"good friends"the Belgians)
who considered the Congo his own,personel fiefdom.
Posted by Raptor  2003-05-31 07:17:32||   2003-05-31 07:17:32|| Front Page Top

#10 "Which means, as usual, the EUridiots will be dependent on UK and US assets to do anything. "

UK is part of the EU, you idiot. But why should I expect you to know that. And why should I expect you to show any gratitude to your Spanish or Polish "allies", also part of the EU (or soon to be). No, you'll call them all idiots.

The RRF may not currently have the power to "rapidly" support South Korea on a different hemisphere. What it may have is the power to rapidly move to support places closer at home, such EU's member states and its neighbours.
Posted by Aris Katsaris 2003-05-31 07:59:35||   2003-05-31 07:59:35|| Front Page Top

09:28 Raptor
09:16 Raptor
08:22 Aris Katsaris
08:08 Raptor
08:03 Aris Katsaris
07:59 Aris Katsaris
07:31 Raptor
07:25 Raptor
07:17 Raptor
06:58 Anon1
06:48 Raptor
06:39 Raptor
06:03 Raptor
00:33 mojo
00:32 Tremor
23:54 Celissa
23:46 True German Ally
22:32 Barbara Skolaut
22:16 Anonymous Troll
22:14 Anonymous Troll
22:10 Anonymous Troll
22:07 Bomb-a-rama
22:04 Bomb-a-rama
21:50 Bomb-a-rama









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com