Mali Islamists counter attack, promise France long war

Reuters ^ | Mon Jan 14, 2013 8:06am EST | Bate Felix and Alexandria Sage

[DeadFurrow]

Al Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels launched a counter-offensive on Monday in central Mali after four days of air strikes by French warplanes on their strongholds in the desert north, promising to drag France into a long and brutal Afghanistan-style ground war.

[jpsb]

The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II.[a] It took place at Senlac Hill, approximately 10 km (61⁄4 miles) northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory.

[jpsb]

"The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown, the latter taking place on October 19, 1781, was a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis.

[Shadow44]

You’ve never heard of the Franco-Prussian War then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Paris_%281870%E2%80%931871%29

And that was after the Emperor Napoleon III and almost all of his entire army was encircled and captured at the Battle of Sedan!

[jpsb]

"The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition. On 2 December 1805 (20 November Old Style, 11 Frimaire An XIV, in the French Republican Calendar), a French army, commanded by Emperor Napoleon I, decisively defeated a Russo-Austrian army, commanded by Tsar Alexander I and Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, after nearly nine hours of difficult fighting. The battle took place near Austerlitz (Slavkov u Brna) about 10 km (6 mi) south-east of Brno in Moravia, at that time in the Austrian Empire (present day Czech Republic). The battle was a tactical masterpiece of the same stature of Gaugamela and Cannae."

[Leaning Right]

Occasionally I get in conversations about the French in the 20th century. Sooner or later some clown will refer to the French as "surrender monkeys", or something like that.

My response is always the same: read about the Battle of Verdun.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Easy ROCK!

It’s just a joke...

And, anyway... the Battle of Hastings has nothing to do with defending Paris.

[Peter Libra]

Your post #15.

One little-known story of that campaign is how well the remnants of the French army fought to cover the British evacuation at Dunkirk. Hopeful signs here that when and if the French crack down hard on the psychopathic Islamists.

My dad was with a British army infantry regiment at the Dendry Canal in Belgium. He never said much, but the book by his Commanding officer, mentioned the French 5th light tanks and the Cameron regiment (Scotties)as support.

They faced the panzers and could only delay them at a canal bridge. The platoon of English soldier were lucky to get taken off eventually at Dunkirk. 35,000 French troops covered the retreat. Thousands were also taken off to England.

I know Winston Churchill made some statement about France being given some special rights as an ally at that time. I cannot find any reference though.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, is said.

[DPMD]

Doubtful. Not only are the French holding the white flags in ready reserve, the prospect of a secretary of state named Kerry will guarantee timely surrender.

[jpsb]

I am a history buff and it annoys me when the Franks and French army is disrespected. They have about 1500 years of history most of it victorious. The only real stain on their honor was the Vichy French of WW2. I spent time in DeGauls' France in the 60s' and I do not particularly like the French (they don't particularly like us either) but surrender monkeys they are not.

Generalship in WW1 sucked, civilian leadership in pre WW2 sucked, hopefully they are correcting their problems.

[Joe Boucher]

I do not disagree with anything you’ve said.
But it looks like France is losing this war against the mooselimb crazies.
How many buildings and vehicles have been torched in France each year and folks killed there.
And that is due to their liberal immigrations laws of yeas past.

[SomeCallMeTim]

but surrender monkeys they are not.

What would you call their involvement early in Vietnam? Or China? Or Iraq?

Recent history has not been all that terrific for the Froggies.

[Jimmy Valentine]

The villian of that fiasco was Weygand,as duplicitous and incompetent a general ever was.

[Peter Libra]

Your post #19.

For me many memories revived here with the old films. A child at the time, I had a great time with an all- band radio. Even today, I remember the stentorian tones of the announcer in London. A classic opening to music happened to coincide with the letter V. This was played first. I think it was from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Da Da Da Dum. (Churchill had flashed the V sign replete with his cigar.)

The voice intoned:

Ici Londres. This is the London and the European service of the BBC.

We were quite free to tune in to "Germany Calling" on the long wave. Another story however.

[Peter Libra]

I should say that the symphony opening was construed as the letter V in morse code. dot dot dot dash.

[hinckley buzzard]

The French have had their moments. Not many in 1940 to be sure, when whole divisions of the Second and Ninth Armies panicked and fled before Guderian's tanks, but they had pretty incompetent leadership too.