Earlier this week Canada issued an ultimatum that it would pull its 2,500 tropps from Afghanistan effective January 2009 if NATO is unable to pony up additional troops.
In American military parlance, it’s gut-check time for NATO in Afghanistan, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy appears ready to answer allies’ calls for more forces to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida.
As early as Thursday, Sarkozy’s top brass is to present him with a variety of options, from sending special forces to more trainers for Afghan troops, a French military official told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity, because the decisions will ultimately rest with Sarkozy.
Sarkozy isn’t expected to announce a final decision until the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, in early April, which is shaping up as a litmus test of his commitment to the Atlantic alliance which has often had a rocky relationship with France.
The more I see about Sarkozy, the more I like him. Not just because he is pro-American. His previous stint as the French Minister of Interior have given him a keen understanding of the the significance of the War on Terror. He also has a very strong stance on Law and Order issues as seem from his stance on the Islamic Hoodlums that have been plaguing France for years.
The Global Mail in Canada has an interesting spin on this as well:
France’s decision will involve two larger strategic concerns: The ambition among French military leaders to establish a stronger European leadership role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the desire to win U.S. support for a European military force that could some day rival the U.S. military.
Under Chirac, France’s only military ambitions seemed to involve white flags. Now, with Nicolas Sarkozy at the helm in France, it seems a much different picture is forming. I am not so confident on the European military “someday rivaling the US military”, but having ambitions that provide extra support for the war on Terror is good for me.
I may have to take back some of the things I have said about France.
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