I note that Jacques Chirac was the first foreign leader to visit the devastation in New York right after September 11, arriving even before Tony Blair. I also note that the Bush Administration has never invited Chirac to his Texas Ranch, although he has invited the heads of all the other permanent members of the UN Security Council. This may not at first appear to be significant, but I think that Bush means it as a major slap at France and an attempt to isolate them from the very start of his Presidency.
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Jacques Chirac was the first foreign leader to visit the site of the destroyed Twin Towers:
"French President Jacques Chirac has become the first foreign leader to survey New York's leader to survey New York's devastated World Trade Center"
"...I want to tell President Bush, who is my friend, that we bring the total solidarity of France and the French people, it is a solidarity of the heart..." "...We are completely determined to fight by your side this new type of evil, of absolute evil, which is terrorism, and France is prepared and available to discuss all means to fight and eradicate this evil..."
http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/09/19/ret.bush.france/****************************************
French Military Contribution to the Operation "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, May 17, 2002
http://www.info-france-usa.org/news/statmnts/2002/sfia/fight1.asp#French airspace, air bases, and harbors opened to US military aircraft and warships
#Liaison team at the US Central Command (Tampa, FL) since October 9, 2001
#WARSHIPS (1 Frigate, 1 Oiler) in the Arabian Sea for Leadership Interception Operations
#Sharing of Military intelligence
#Intelligence gathering airbone assets at an early phase of the operations (1 Transall C160 G ; 1 Transall C 160 Tanker)
#Strategic reconnaissance
(2 Mirage IV P-Recce from October 2001 to mid-February 2002)
#Air Refueling Aircraft (2 C135 FR Tankers) for French and U.S. Navy Aircraft. From December to April
#Maritime Surveillance Aircrafts (2 MPA Atlantique 2, based in Djibouti, to monitor Aden Gulf)
#Maritime intelligence
(1 LPD, 1 Frigate, 1 Corvette, 1 Support Ship, 1 Support Ship Jules Vernes). From the beginning of May
#Mine sweeping - Maritime survey
(2 Minehunters - 1 Support Ship FS Loire). From December to April
*"CHARLES DE GAULLE" aircraft carrier - 28 aircrafts
TASK GROUP :
- 1 Guided Missile Destroyer
(3500 men)
Deployed from 18th of December to beginning of May in the Arabian Sea. On high readiness status
within two days of operational flight above Afghanistan since then.
*1 Oiler - 2 Frigates - 1 Nuclear Attack submarine (800 men)
Deployed at Manas Air Force Base in Kirghisistan:
450 men to support the operations of the following air assets:
*6 Mirage 2000D (Precision Strike Aircraft)
* 2 C135 FR (Tankers)
Airlift Transit Center of Douchanbe in Tadjikistan:
Presence of air assets including C130 Hercules and C160 Transall seployed at Douchanbe to provide airlift support of the French Components of Enduring Freedom and ISAF (100 men).
Embassy of France in the US - May 31, 2002
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French soldiers died alongside US soldiers in the terrorist bombings in Lebanon in 1983:
On October 23, 1983, 56 French soldiers lost their lives alongside 241 US Marines in Lebannon when terrorists bombed their barracks. The US media seems to always forget the deaths of the French:
http://www.veteranen.info/~cedarsouthlebanon/mnf/multinational_force.eng.htm"...On October 23, just after dawn 241 Marines died when a truck loaded with TNT blew up a marine barracks at the International Airport. At almost the same time, another truck blew up the French barracks a few kilometres away, killing 56 French troops..."
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U.S. Ignored Warnings from the French Intelligence a few days before 911, as documented by FBI Agent Coleen Rowley. French Intelligence as well as a French Special Terrorist Judge warned the US about Moussaoui before 911 and they had been trying to extradict him from Britain for years.
http://propagandamatrix.com/US_Ignored_Warnings_From_French.htm********************************************
French troops saved US citizens in the Ivory Coast in September, 2002:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200209250715.html"...French troops have rescued 160 mainly American children and staff trapped at an international school in Bouake, the central Ivorian city which has been under control of mutinous soliders for almost a week..."
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French military contributions to the allied coalition in Desert Storm in 1991
Air Power:
http://216.239.57.104/searchq=cache:7z0syujGyEkJ:www.danshistory.com/operations.shtml+france+military+contribution+desert+storm&hl=enOver 100 aircraft committed including Jaguar, Mirage 2000 C, 2000 D, F-1, Mir-WP, JAG-A, E3-F, C-135F, UAV, CL-289, UAV CR, PUMA SA-330, HORIZON C160, aircraft based on aircraft carrier FS Foch.
French aircraft flew 2,414 sorties in Desert Storm.
French total military contribution of 11,000 troops to Desert Storm, including the 2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:QtzXawDPzlAJ:news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/861164.stm+french+troops+desert+storm&hl=en**************************************************
The French Battalion in the Korean War won 3 Distinguished Presidential Unit Citations for bravery and fought alongside US troops. They won the admiration of General Ridgeway.
http://www.info-france-usa.org/atoz/koreawar.aspThe French Battalion took part in some of the bloodiest battles of the Korean War including Twin Tunnels and Heartbreak Ridge and saved a US division by making a stand and fighting the Chinese hand-to-hand, according to one eyewitness account of a US soldier:
"....Retreating, the Chinese reorganized and hit the French who were defending Hill 453. Lt. Col. Ralph Monclar, a decorated and much-wounded veteran of both world wars, inspired his men. Freeman later recalled: "Wave after wave of fanatical Chinese continued to surge on during the next three hours in an attempt to seize the dominating ground. The gallant French 1st Company was finally engaged in hand-to-hand fighting and suffered heavy casualties. With their position becoming almost untenable, the desperate French counter-attacked with the bayonet...."
"...The Chinese, with victory almost in their grasp-a victory which had they attained would have jeopardized our entire position-pulled back......"
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During World War II, the Free French Army fought alongside the US Army throughout the desert campaign, in Italy, in Normandy and even at the Battle of the Bulge. When US troops were besieged in the terrible bloodbath at Anzio on the beach, the Gustav line was finally broken and the campaign won thanks to the Free French Army that took the heights of the Belvedere:
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:i3eOATaS-YcJ:home.wanadoo.nl/cclinks/abtf/fierce~1.html+french+break+gustav+line+anzio&hl=en"...When the Allies renew the offensive on May 11, four corps are thrown forward - the U.S. II, the Polish II, the British XIII, and the French Expeditionary Force. The 12 attacking divisions face only 6 German divisions. While there is general progress all along the Gustav Line, it is the French who finally crack the line for good. On May 14, they break into the Ausente Valley and race toward the next German line; they hope to crack this line before the Germans can settle into their defensive positions. By May 16, only the Poles face determined resistance at Cassino; everywhere else the Germans are falling back to their next line of defense. The Poles finally capture the ruins of the monastery at Cassino on May 18..."
One of the great air aces of World War II was the Free French pilot Pierre Closterman, who had 33 confirmed kills and 23 probables, one of the very highest totals for any allied pilot in the European theater of war:
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:fBJ7MSpR6iwJ:users.senet.com.au/~wingman/aces.html+pierre+closterman+ace+&hl=enOne of the great stories of World War II is that of the Free French pilots who volunteered to form squadrons of fighters within the Russian Army on the Eastern Front. Known as the "Normandie-Niemen", they racked up 236 kills of German planes with several more "probables". Their leader was Marcel Albert, who was given Russia's highest military honor, "Hero Of The Soviet Union", which is the Russian equivalent of the Congressional Medal Of Honor.
http://www.frenkenstein.com/ww2/Normandy-Niemen/Normandie-Niemen.htmAnother famous incident in World War II involving the French was the battle of Gazala in North Africa, particularly that part of the battle known as the siege of Bir Hakeim. The Germans under Rommel fought a hard fight against the allies, including a major tank battle. The British were virtually routed. But the southern part of their defenses were held by two battalions of French Foreign Legion, one Regiment of Regular French Marines, and a collection of various French colonial troops. For 10 days, although heavily outnumbered by the Germans, they held off attack after attack and allowed the allies to escape to safety. It made the later victory at El Alamein possible. It is one of the proudest moments in the history of the French Foreign Legion, although other French units participated as well.
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:iU_KESFuzS4J:www.ku.edu/carrie/specoll/AFS/4/d/4d4a1.html+bir+hakim+legion&hl=en
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