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| Europe |
| Rumsfeld nails the French. |
| 2003-05-29 |
| You have to hand it to Big Dog (Rumsfeld). He knows how to hit 'em where it hurts. As WFB pointed out in a recent column, the French are most vulnerable in their pride. It's not limited to the French, I might add. Gallic pride — based on a past growing distant, grasping for any present reality — is a rather delicate illusion. In the past few weeks, Mr. Rumsfeld made two decisions that both galled the Gauls. The important one is about Red Flag and Cope Thunder. Now it gets good... Uncle is the sponsor of the two air war-games that anyone who is: (a) a good guy; and (b) serious about having an air force needs to attend. Red Flag — next scheduled for March '04 — is the bigger of the two. Held at Nellis AFB in Nevada (yes, Andrew, where Area 51 is, but not usually over it) Red Flag tests and develops tactics. The fly-guys get to do air-combat maneuvering at supersonic speed, and the threats that test their skills are unmatched except in combat. There you find the Aggressor Squadron, a highly experienced bunch of airborne pirates whose principal duty is to study how our guys fight, and find ways to defeat them in ACM. The Aggressors fly everything from our stuff to the latest aircraft of other nations whose birds fall into our hands by defection and, ah, otherwise. Surface-to-air-missile threats are very realistic, and lotsa classified stuff goes on. These days, Nellis runs the Predator and Global Hawk UAVs, so they're part of the exercise too. The French air force has traditionally been on the limited invitation lists for Red Flag and its smaller cousin, Cope Thunder (which follows Red Flag by a few months and is held in Alaska). So when Rumsfeld told the Frenchies they were disinvited to both Red Flag and Cope Thunder, their air-force guys were shocked. Being excluded from the best war games sends two unmistakable messages. First, we don't need you. Second, we don't want you. Capiche? If the French "get it", then there's still hope... Less important but still fun is Rumsfeld's action on the Paris Air Show, one of the highlights of the business/political social season. This year, American military aircraft will be on display, but none will fly. And no American officer above the rank of colonel will attend. So the Paris social season will have far fewer bits of gossip about those ill-mannered cowboys who flew into Paris in all those smelly old aircraft. Our aircraft manufacturers will squawk about lost chances for foreign sales of aircraft, but anyone who wants the stuff that just kicked butt in Afghanistan and Iraq knows where to find it. In places such as Fort Worth, St. Louis, and Seattle, thank you very much. Or at the Farnborough Air Show next year in Britain. The USAF will be there with bells on, and all the guys with stars on their shoulders will have a year of absence to make up for in politicking. We know who our friends are. Read the whole article. Deliciously Juicy. Made my day. |
| Posted by:Ptah |
| #8 TGA - Schroeder ruptured a true friendship that was built on common values and common defense. And for what, for politics. Is it to much to expect a friend, who we have stood by even though we put our homeland at risk for 50 years, to support us? If you ask me it was a very childish move for Schroeder to do this. And it was all about politics. This iraq thing did not start last november but that is when Schroeder jumped on the weasal bandwagon, for what ? for politics..because the German people do not want to be involved in any wars. In the end was this needed to keep Germany out of combat, no, but it was needed to get Schroeder re-elected. As for a stronger Franco/German alliance - ask yourself is this really in Germany's best interest? You already have to deal with a snobbish France who flouts your own EU laws (at least when it suits them!) while Germany is mirred in economic stagnation because of its adherence to EU rules. |
| Posted by: Dan 2003-05-29 13:15:08 |
| #7 Frank, I can't vouch for this government. People do crazy things on their way out. And on this way they are, maybe this year already. The problem is that Schroeder gets most of his electorate in the North and the East which also happens to be more reserved when it comes to the US. South and South West Germany is a completely different story (Guess who has 16% unemployed and who has 5%). Yet you can't really "punish" Schroeder and wish Germany well. Any Bush snub in Evian will just drive Germany back into French arms. Do we want that? I can understand that Bush doesn't like Schroeder but when the leader of the world's first ecomony snubs the leader of the world 3rd economy that can't be any good. Talking to an opposition man (and not even the leader of this opposition) in the White House and not having talked to the leader of Germany since November.. this is not good politics, this is ...pardon me ... childish behavior. Politics doesn't mean that you only talk to people you sympathize with. If you want a stronger French-German alliance, that's the way to do it. Do you want it? Or do you even care? Schroeder has at least tried to mend fences, he has acknowledged that he went too far in some respect (understatement but when do you hear politicians apologizing fully?). No it doesn't have to be Crawford, but some talks in Evian could help. After all, French might want to fall out with the US, Germany does not. At least not the Germany I bank on. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-05-29 10:51:05 |
| #6 TGA - it may be worth noting that while the anti-French attitude seems to still be at a boil, you rarely hear any anti-German voices lately. Now, should Gerhard or any of his ministers decide to opine again, that could change |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-05-29 10:01:55 |
| #5 Hope that German airforce guys will still continue to train in Texas. They do more for US-German friendship than all politicians. Great bunch of people. Did I mention that only 25% support Schroeder's party SPD right now? (Latest polls) |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-05-29 09:58:50 |
| #4 The Japanese may need their skills if Kimmy doesn't wise up |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-05-29 09:13:05 |
| #3 We did invite the Japanese to the Alaska event. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-05-29 08:56:38 |
| #2 It may not have been only to tweak their pride. Lack of this training will certainly make the French Air Force less effective. To wit: we didn't invite the Chineese either. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-05-29 08:45:44 |
| #1 TGA - i should of put this in my prior post but did not. just wanted say that over the last 6 monts or so i have read your post's and your are a true german ally. |
| Posted by: Dan 2003-05-29 17:42:25 |