France has always been the rebellious one in NATO but they where bang on to stay out of Iraq.
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Nano_needle on
We got increased American presence against russians, so we ended up on + after whole ordeal.
DrolligerDorftrottel on
I will never forget the words of the German foreign minister Joschka Fischer regarding the question if Germany joins the Coalition in 2003.
‘You have to make a case. In a democracy, you have to make the case. And I’m not convinced. I can’t go and tell the public this and that, while I don’t believe in it.’.
We didn’t join the coalition and US media called France + Germany the ‘coalition of weasles’.
Turns out that the informant who informed the German BND about possible WMD’s in Iraq was labeled ‘unreliable’ by the BND due to an unvetted history and Fischer knew that. He also knew that the entire [then recent] CIA story relied on Thunderballs (the informants codename) testimony, so it was wrong from the getgo.
Ecthelion-O-Fountain on
OK, but they also didn’t want to do it because of economic reasons. So they were right for the wrong reasons, but it certainly wasn’t that They don’t like to fuck over other countries.
Charles12_13 on
Thankfully a lot of NATOS countries stayed out of this mess
gigas-chadeus on
“Gets involved in 8 neocolonial wars throughout Africa in the span of 20 years instead” “HONHONHON you see our imperialism is based because we’re FRENCH!!!!!”
Charles12_13 on
Renaming French fries to Freedom Fries is the pettiest thing I’ve ever heard a country do not gonna lie
sw337 on
French in 2003: You arrogant Americans can’t just bomb dictators you don’t like.
French in 2011: I WILL ESCORT GADDAFI TO THE GATES OF HELL!
_TheBigF_ on
Why is the popular perception that ONLY France didn’t join the invasion of Iraq, while in reality the only NATO members to join the invasion were Great Britain and Poland while literally everyone else saw the invasion as unjustified? Even the same countries that did participate in the invasion of Afghanistan could tell that the reasons the USA gave for invading Iraq were bullshit. (Don’t lump these two conflicts together. They are very different. )
OGD2068 on
I was an idiot 20 year old Marine and knew Iraq wasn’t a threat with WMD
Prestigious-Job-9825 on
To be honest, the french fries => freedom fries bullshit backfired on the pro-war Americans even on day 1. Everyone laughed at them. It’s no wonder the freedom fries thing didn’t stick around for long
C4N98 on
French Fries ==> Belgium Fries.
Emotional_Newt_2227 on
Called cowards by the country that needed saving twice in 30 years
Elpsyth on
De Villepin speech is still incredible today
insertwittynamethere on
Honestly question – were they wrong about the invasion being a bad idea relying on poor quality intel?
Because there were quite a few Americans then who did not believe the Bush admin’s justifications. Afghanistan was clear as night and day for going in. Iraq was seen through the context of a President having a grudge against a leader who had a death mark put on his father’s head.
Is Iraq better today in the end? Imo yes, though so much death and instability bought that peace. Does it give the US under Bush the right for having made a seemingly biased call to invade under poor justification (that they then pointed at other violations of UNSC resolutions against Iraq as cause when WMDs went poof)?
And does that honestly reflect badly on allies for using at least two brainchild to see rushing behind America without thought may not always be a good idea?
We ain’t exactly sending our best and brightest to government the last decades.
Competitive_Pen7192 on
Someone awhile back posted Charles Du Gaulle was reforming in his grave like Imhotep from the Mummy. Ready to emerge and say TOLD YOU SO about the United States…
Still makes me giggle when I think about it now.
OneNavan on
America has always been mistreating it’s own allies
baguetteispain on
De Villepin on his way to make the hardest speech against the invasion in the UN
Odd-Thought4669 on
“The gaul…” you mean De Gaulle
PapaLilBear on
Hmm… let’s take a look at what France is doing in North Africa… hmm interesting
Let’s look at her contacts with Russia… hmm…
JimmyJoJameson on
France’s military history is a million times more glorious than what America could ever hope to muster.
CapEconomy1569 on
Another thing: France has been saying that Europe shouldn’t be so dependent on the US because in the end they are unreliable to defend the continent. Every country has been calling them idiot, arrogant and whatnot BUT with the second presidency of Trump, suddenly nobody says anything about that.
26 Comments
The gall of the gauls
France has always been the rebellious one in NATO but they where bang on to stay out of Iraq.
[deleted]
[deleted]
We got increased American presence against russians, so we ended up on + after whole ordeal.
I will never forget the words of the German foreign minister Joschka Fischer regarding the question if Germany joins the Coalition in 2003.
‘You have to make a case. In a democracy, you have to make the case. And I’m not convinced. I can’t go and tell the public this and that, while I don’t believe in it.’.
We didn’t join the coalition and US media called France + Germany the ‘coalition of weasles’.
Turns out that the informant who informed the German BND about possible WMD’s in Iraq was labeled ‘unreliable’ by the BND due to an unvetted history and Fischer knew that. He also knew that the entire [then recent] CIA story relied on Thunderballs (the informants codename) testimony, so it was wrong from the getgo.
OK, but they also didn’t want to do it because of economic reasons. So they were right for the wrong reasons, but it certainly wasn’t that They don’t like to fuck over other countries.
Thankfully a lot of NATOS countries stayed out of this mess
“Gets involved in 8 neocolonial wars throughout Africa in the span of 20 years instead” “HONHONHON you see our imperialism is based because we’re FRENCH!!!!!”
Renaming French fries to Freedom Fries is the pettiest thing I’ve ever heard a country do not gonna lie
French in 2003: You arrogant Americans can’t just bomb dictators you don’t like.
French in 2011: I WILL ESCORT GADDAFI TO THE GATES OF HELL!
Why is the popular perception that ONLY France didn’t join the invasion of Iraq, while in reality the only NATO members to join the invasion were Great Britain and Poland while literally everyone else saw the invasion as unjustified? Even the same countries that did participate in the invasion of Afghanistan could tell that the reasons the USA gave for invading Iraq were bullshit. (Don’t lump these two conflicts together. They are very different. )
I was an idiot 20 year old Marine and knew Iraq wasn’t a threat with WMD
To be honest, the french fries => freedom fries bullshit backfired on the pro-war Americans even on day 1. Everyone laughed at them. It’s no wonder the freedom fries thing didn’t stick around for long
French Fries ==> Belgium Fries.
Called cowards by the country that needed saving twice in 30 years
De Villepin speech is still incredible today
Honestly question – were they wrong about the invasion being a bad idea relying on poor quality intel?
Because there were quite a few Americans then who did not believe the Bush admin’s justifications. Afghanistan was clear as night and day for going in. Iraq was seen through the context of a President having a grudge against a leader who had a death mark put on his father’s head.
Is Iraq better today in the end? Imo yes, though so much death and instability bought that peace. Does it give the US under Bush the right for having made a seemingly biased call to invade under poor justification (that they then pointed at other violations of UNSC resolutions against Iraq as cause when WMDs went poof)?
And does that honestly reflect badly on allies for using at least two brainchild to see rushing behind America without thought may not always be a good idea?
We ain’t exactly sending our best and brightest to government the last decades.
Someone awhile back posted Charles Du Gaulle was reforming in his grave like Imhotep from the Mummy. Ready to emerge and say TOLD YOU SO about the United States…
Still makes me giggle when I think about it now.
America has always been mistreating it’s own allies
De Villepin on his way to make the hardest speech against the invasion in the UN
“The gaul…” you mean De Gaulle
Hmm… let’s take a look at what France is doing in North Africa… hmm interesting
Let’s look at her contacts with Russia… hmm…
France’s military history is a million times more glorious than what America could ever hope to muster.
Another thing: France has been saying that Europe shouldn’t be so dependent on the US because in the end they are unreliable to defend the continent. Every country has been calling them idiot, arrogant and whatnot BUT with the second presidency of Trump, suddenly nobody says anything about that.
I hate that I know where that gun model is from