French and pirates,

[RayP.]

We knock the French but when the pirates threatened to kill the hostages on the French yacht that they took,that was the last straw,French "Seals"moved in and took the ship back,one hostage was killed and all the others were saved,don't know fate of the pirates.

RayP.

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[Art]

A lot of the criticism of the French military is unfounded and relates to the beginning of World War 2 only. The French currently have an excellent highly trained well equipped military that is one of the best in the world. Unfortunately like the rest of the Euros there are way too few of them.

I was listening to old Fred Barnes comment on a statement by Hillary Clinton that we need a "21st century" approach to the pirate problem off the horn of Africa. Barnes response was that we really "need an 18th century solution." The frogs seem to be on board with that, at least in this case.

[2571]

the rest of it is well founded?

The French military is a joke. They have to pay premiums to recruit for the Foreign Legion and they can't meet their annual quotas for St. Denis.

The last real soldier they had, Petain, sold out to the Germans in WWII.

[Dan Wilson]

They have to pay premiums to recruit for the Foreign Legion

Maybe that's because French nationals are prohibited from joining the legion.

Dan

[cary m2a]

I think the last good frenchman was Napoleon Bonaparte at least he knew what he was doing and how to do it, a lost art now days.


Cary

[Dan Wilson]

Psst, he wasn't even French LOL

Dan

[Art]

Oh please. The Foreign Legion are mercenaries pure and simple, recruited from whatever country is in distress at the moment. I remember in the first gulf war the two units that stood on the road to Baghdad when we decided to call off the dogs was one of our airborne divisions and the French 6th Light Armored Division which helped get them there.

The French and the Brits, together with the Canadians are the only Western European countries that have troops in Afganistan that actually fight. Everyone else has rules of engagement that effectively prevent their troops that from engaging in combat. The Germans are the absolute worst about that. As long as the French fight with us I'm not going to criticise their effectiveness or courage.

The French historically had poor leadership. They have a history of having good soldiers who have been let down by incompetent leadership who was always preparing for the last war.

As far as the piracy goes at least they went and got there folks back which is a lot more than we're doing right now.

I can't believe I'm in the position of defending the Frogs, they almost always give me a pain I can't locate but if they fight with us they deserve respect.

And Carey, Napoleon was a Corsican. Something the French don't like to talk about much.

[talucah]

Why do I have the feeling that the French leadership along with the rest of Europe are laughing at ours. I wish that I could get mad, like I once did.
Bob

[cary m2a]

I stand corrected.
Well our leadership hasn't been much better.

Cary

[Art]

Just saw the news!!! We got our guy back and Killed the pirates!!!!