Biden Says France Seeks Two NATO Commands

Reuters ^ | Dec 4, 2003 | By Paul Taylor

[witnesstothefall]

BRUSSELS - France, keen to heal a deep rift with the United States over the Iraq war, has asked to take over two NATO commands in a signal of willingness to work more closely with Washington on international security, a senior U.S. senator said on Thursday.

Senator Joseph Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters President Jacques Chirac had raised the issue during a lengthy meeting with him on Wednesday, and he would pass on his thoughts to President Bush.

Biden said France wanted to head a new NATO Reaction Force (NRF), inaugurated in October to meet post-September 11 security threats by providing rapidly deployable combat troops for long-range missions in crises. He did not say what the other command was.

"I for one hope there is no trouble about the two brigadiers-general the French are requesting," the senator said. "This is a time to be grown-up, show a little sophistication."

It would be wrong for Washington to respond legalistically by insisting Paris rejoin NATO's integrated military structure, which it quit in 1966, before it could take a NATO command, he said.

The NRF is due to grow to some 20,000 troops, rotating every six months, and become fully operational by October 2006. France has the second largest contingent in the start-up force after Spain.

Biden, who stressed he had no mandate to negotiate, quoted Chirac as saying it would be a disaster if U.S. troops stayed in Iraq, but it would also be a disaster if they left Iraq.

The senator said his meetings in Paris, London and Brussels had convinced him that the 19-nation NATO alliance would eventually take over running the international military presence in Iraq, even though that might take time.

"I predict that in the near term, within the next year, you will see NATO getting involved in taking over the operation in Iraq, at least the start of such an involvement," he said in a speech to the Transatlantic Center think-tank of the German Marshall Fund.

Biden said the conditions for NATO involvement were that an Iraqi government was in place and a U.N.-mandated high commissioner replaced the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, which is running the civilian side of the occupation.

Biden declined to disclose more details of his talks with Chirac, saying he first wanted to report to Bush. But he said the duration of the meeting was evidence that Chirac was seeking to mend the relationship.

"In a sense, we won the war, but France won the point about what they thought would happen in the aftermath. I think there's enough here for both leaders to move on and start again after a pause," he added.

[witnesstothefall]

Biden's conceited stupidity is astonishing. Letting Franch head up any rapid reaction force is the very last thing we should ever do, for it would deliver what France covets most - an effective veto over American foreign policy during a crisis.

The Democrats seem hell bent on delivering America to her enemies, by hook or by crook.

[gcruse]

It would be wrong for Washington to respond legalistically by insisting Paris rejoin NATO's integrated military structure, which it quit in 1966, before it could take a NATO command, he said.

Heh. "I refuse to join your football team, but I want to play quarterback.  It would be wrong of you to deny me this."

[Colonel_Flagg]

Biden said France wanted to head a new NATO Reaction Force (NRF), inaugurated in October to meet post-September 11 security threats by providing rapidly deployable combat troops for long-range missions in crises. He did not say what the other command was.

Why would NATO want to send a command, say, 3,000 miles just to surrender?

[expatpat]

We should tell Chirac we'll get back to him when we feel it's time for the NATO Reaction Force to surrender.

[HarleyD]

"France... has asked to take over two NATO commands...his [Biden] meetings in Paris, London and Brussels had convinced him that the 19-nation NATO alliance would eventually take over running the international military presence in Iraq, even though that might take time."

Does anyone else see this as a backdoor attempt by France to take control of the situation in Iraq. These people are despicable.

[xzins]

It would be wrong for Washington to respond legalistically by insisting Paris rejoin NATO's integrated military structure, which it quit in 1966, before it could take a NATO command, he said.

It wouldn't be legalistic at all.

It's silly to give command to someone who's not in your command structure.

They'll simply ignore you and do what they want when and if it suits them.

Someone tonight remember to loft a prayer of thanks that Biden never got to be President. He's not terribly bright.

[gcruse]

How bright can Biden be? He plagiarized a living British politician and was surprised to get caught.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Psst...tip to Biden, if Chirac is talking to you, he doesn't think you're intelligent enough to understand that he thinks you nothing but an American fool. Yet, Biden insists we become as "sophisticated" as the French.

Why do we have so many Congress critters who believe Europe is the epitome of sophistication and leadership? It has to be their lack of understanding that it was the United States of American who won two world wars for the Europeans and in spite of many of their own appeasement mentality.


You are right on the money when you said, "The Democrats seem hell bent on delivering America to her enemies, by hook or by crook."

[metesky]

Bump

[McGavin999]

"The Democrats seem hell bent on delivering America to her enemies, by hook or by crook."

By hook or by (democrat) crook.

[spokeshave]

"France Seeks Two NATO Commands"

Good idea...then they can surrender to each other.....after all the only war the frogs won was against each other.

[Digger]

Why do we have so many Congress critters who believe Europe is the epitome of sophistication and leadership

All one needs to look at who their contributors are. They are the elites. They are the ones that want to keep America on the liberal side. They are the ones that virtually run this country - directly & indirectly for their own purposes.

[Travis McGee]

Phoque Les Phroggies.

[af_vet_1981]

All the Colin Powell critics are herein justified. The French are negotiating with the Democrat party for terms of American surrender while Colin Powell negotiates with the Israeli Labor party on similar termos of surrender in the War on Terror.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Which is where their deflection tactics come in - they constantly tell their voting base that the Rich are Republicans, knowing that their base is too ill-informed to realize that when it comes to the rich, they should look at their Democratic leadership and their Demo contributors.

Dare we mention Hollywood's rich elitist liberals? Dare we mention Je$$e Jack$on and his big-bucks shakedown machine? Dare we mention our very wealthy Demo Congress critters, Pelosi, Feinstein, Ketchup Kerry, Kennedys, Clinton (8 million ain't poor money), Corzine, et al?

[Ordinary_American]

No, No, No. The article is wrong.

France wants to command the Rapid Surrender Force.

[BushisTheMan]

"I for one hope there is no trouble about the two brigadiers-general the French are requesting," the senator said. "This is a time to be grown-up, show a little sophistication."

Sounds like this a-hole is suggesting our President and many of us who boycott French products are crybabies and acting like unruly children. Well, I say to Biden: Nah ne nah de poo poo!

[geedee]

GW, the plain-spoken one, will have two words for ChIRAQ and Biden . . . Me mordre!

Bite me! . . . per FreeTranslation.com

[ravingnutter]

All the Colin Powell critics are herein justified. The French are negotiating with the Democrat party for terms of American surrender while Colin Powell negotiates with the Israeli Labor party on similar termos of surrender in the War on Terror.

You pinged me here for this crap? Drop the Tarot cards and step away from the crystal ball slowly. As for this article, Biden has no authority, as he states himself in the article, so what is the point in all the impending doom talk? Colin Powell merely meets with someone that you don't agree with and y'all go into Chicken Little mode and say he's out to undermine Israel. Ridiculous. As I stated before, in any dispute resolution, you have to talk to all sides involved before you can come up with a solution that is satisfactory to all parties. That is the way it is done. Bush/Powell have met with everyone but Elon, but that was Elon's choice, as he himself clearly stated. Those that support him should encourage Elon to call and make a frigging appointment (as if Bush/Powell have not already taken Elon's very well publicized plan into consideration...good grief). You may need to make a run to the store...sounds like you are out of tin foil to me...

[presidio9]