Skip to comments.
France sends elite troops to help free yacht hostages
Associated Press ^
| April 7, 2008
Posted on 04/07/2008 1:14:19 PM PDT by kingattax
PARIS Elite French troops were headed to East Africa to bolster efforts to free captives of a yacht held by pirates off Somalia, a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said today.
A team of the GIGN, a commando force that conducts anti-terrorist and hostage rescue operations, was being sent to Djibouti to "reinforce" negotiation teams in place, spokeswoman Pascale Andreani said in an online briefing.
Pirates seized the yacht, called Le Ponant, in the Gulf of Aden on Friday. It was carrying 30 crew members, including 22 French citizens, but no passengers.
French officials made contact with the pirates overnight.
"We had confirmation that the crew was safe and sound and well-treated," Andreani said.
"Our priority is the safety of the hostages," she said.
French military spokesman Cmdr. Christophe Prazuck said the situation aboard the yacht remained "calm" today.
A French frigate was diverted from its NATO duties and has been tracking the yacht, military officials said over the weekend. An airplane dispatched from a French base in Djibouti has flown over the yacht.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned it could take "an enormous amount of time" to settle the pirate standoff, which he called "a very serious affair."
President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to meet with the families of the French crew members Tuesday.
The governor of the Somali region of Bari, where the yacht is being held, was quoted in today's Le Figaro as urging an attack on the pirates by French and U.S. warships. Musa Ghelle Yusuf urged an attack "for the peace of Somali waters."
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: djibouti; france; frenchtroops; gulfofaden; hostages; leponant; pirates; somalia
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-45 next last
To: Alter Kaker
In fact, they just dramatically increased their deployment to Afghanistan. france has 1,500 troops currently in the afghan theater and president sarkozy recently offered to send 700 more.
i guess a 50% increase is very dramatic
21
posted on
04/07/2008 1:53:13 PM PDT
by
kingattax
(99 % of liberals give the rest a bad name)
To: Braak; DogBarkTree
What interests me more is why GIGN and not Commando Hulbert? I thought Commando Hulbert trained more often for maratime CT? Or has GIGN been training for that?Commando Hubert specializes in underwater insertion and demolition. GIGN is specifically trained for hostage rescue situations. The naval commandos do have their own specialized hostage rescue unit, but it is much smaller than the GIGN.
22
posted on
04/07/2008 1:53:35 PM PDT
by
Alter Kaker
(Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
To: kingattax
Elite Forces Prepare!
To: ladtx
Cut them a break. The French just elected a better president. Sarkozy has a lot of work ahead of him.
They are fighting in Afghanistan, they have ships along side out ships supporting operations in Southwest Asia.
To: Alter Kaker
"Why? They're sending troops to the region, not giving away operational details." I guess a surprise visit is now out of the question. Since this group is small and light, the French should just explain things after the fact, not telegraph it ahead of time.
25
posted on
04/07/2008 2:18:13 PM PDT
by
lormand
(What is the difference between a Reagan Democrat and a McCain Democrat?)
To: Braak
Also interesting that the GIGN are ‘backing up’ the 13e Demi-Brigade de Légion Étrangère, AKA 13e DBLE).
How does that song go...”Bad Moon Rising?”
BTW, these are the same chaps that trained the folks in Chad to defeat the far more modern and better equipped Libyans some years back. A rough lot, to be certain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Foreign_Legion_Demi-Brigade
26
posted on
04/07/2008 2:19:45 PM PDT
by
ASOC
(I know I don't look like much, but I raised a US Marine!)
To: kingattax
.."don't you try to be funny with me, monsieur" Does your dog bite?
27
posted on
04/07/2008 2:23:02 PM PDT
by
Cowboy Bob
(Illegals : Why spend the money to educate them if its against the law to employ them?)
To: Cowboy Bob
28
posted on
04/07/2008 2:25:50 PM PDT
by
kingattax
(99 % of liberals give the rest a bad name)
To: kingattax
29
posted on
04/07/2008 2:27:59 PM PDT
by
NormsRevenge
(Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline —1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRGeT)
To: ASOC; cardinal4
Back in 1982 I spent some time in Djibouti. The 13eDBLE pretty well ran the bars down by the port. If one was inclined to get in a bar fight, there was probably not a more fertile field on the planet. These boys were not to be messed with.
At that time, we didn't have a Marine Security Guard Detachment at the Embassy. As in N'Djamena, the French were committed to provide security to our Embassies in those two capitals. I have often wondered how our forces in Djibouti are getting along with their French hosts.
30
posted on
04/07/2008 2:32:07 PM PDT
by
Ax
To: crghill
“what exactly are elite French Troops anyway?”
Hostage rescue and bim squad.
31
posted on
04/07/2008 2:37:25 PM PDT
by
Rebelbase
(Carbon is the fourth most abundant element on the planet.)
To: crghill
what exactly are elite French Troops anyway? U.S. Navy SEALS
32
posted on
04/07/2008 2:51:41 PM PDT
by
Virginia Ridgerunner
("We must not forget that there is a war on and our troops are in the thick of it!"--Duncan Hunter)
To: crghill
They are know to carry and use: Grey Poupon.
33
posted on
04/07/2008 2:53:22 PM PDT
by
exit82
(People get the government they deserve. And they are about to get it--in spades.)
To: MediaMole
France betrayed the US in Iraq, the UN, and elsewhere. The US must question French allegiance for an extended period. French support in Afghanistan under Sarkozy's leadership is important.
French soldiers with NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force
patrol streets of Kabul - CNN 2006
To: Alter Kaker
Out of curiosity, are they mostly the descendants of Norsemen, or as they are referred to now, Normans?
I know most of our Specfor and Marines are of Scotts/Irish descent. I was wondering if France also had a disproportionate number of their forces come from a certain demographic. Thanks.
For those that mock the French, I would look to Charles the Hammer who saved Western Civilization at Tours and his grandson Charlemagne who unified the West and starterd the ascent out of the dark ages.
Unfortunately, Napoleon led most of the rough and ready French bloodlines to their deaths.
35
posted on
04/07/2008 3:21:55 PM PDT
by
MattinNJ
("Conservatives" will stay home in November and hand the socialists the election. Unbelievable.)
To: DogBarkTree
Since Sarkozy Ive ended my boycott and stopped making anti French jokes. I wish their elite troops good hunting and the safe return of French citizens.
Bonne Chance et Bonne Chasse GIGN!
36
posted on
04/07/2008 4:25:48 PM PDT
by
El Gato
("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
To: kingattax
37
posted on
04/07/2008 4:27:59 PM PDT
by
mware
(mware...killer of threads.)
To: Alter Kaker
The goal is to avoid using the GIGN, using the threat of an attack to convince the terrorists to let their hostages go without bloodshed. I'd just as soon the French had shut up, shot, and shoveled. (Well since it's a Maritime gig, they could dispense with the shoveling, just shove the bodies overboard, weighted down with their ship's anchor chain.)
38
posted on
04/07/2008 4:31:36 PM PDT
by
El Gato
("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
To: El Gato
I'd just as soon the French had shut up, shot, and shoveled.Ok, but your family isn't on that yacht. The French want their hostages back, alive, asap. The easiest way to do that is to persuade the terrorists to let them go. If that doesn't work, they'll go in guns blazing.
39
posted on
04/07/2008 4:33:33 PM PDT
by
Alter Kaker
(Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
To: Alter Kaker
Looked them up and read about them a little bit. Wow...who knew?
40
posted on
04/07/2008 6:11:42 PM PDT
by
crghill
(Postmillenial, theonomic, presuppositional, covenantal Calvinist! Let reconstruction begin!)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-45 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson