French, US troops in major operation east of Kabul: military (Major TaliAQRat flushing op? Go Team!)

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 12/17/09 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

UZBEEN VALLEY, Afghanistan (AFP) – More than 1,100 soldiers, including 800 French legionnaires as well as US and Afghan commandos, launched a major operation Thursday east of the Afghan capital, military officials said.

Military officials said five US special forces were wounded in the fighting in the Uzbeen Valley, a Taliban stronghold where 10 French soldiers were killed in an ambush in August 2008.

[NormsRevenge]

Godspeed to all the Men and Women on the ground and in the air getting it done.


An Afghan National Army (ANA) hands a cup of tea to a German Bundeswehr army soldier (L) as a Belgian soldier (C) looks on, of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), in a combat position during a mission in Chahar Dara in the outskirts of Kunduz, December 17, 2009. German Bundeswehr army soldiers and Afghan National Army (ANA) units started an operation against insurgents in the area on Wednesday. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: MILITARY CONFLICT IMAGES OF THE DAY)

[NormsRevenge]

Reuters - Afghan troops fire off a mortar round toward a mountain.

[TonyInOhio]

They'll kill you dead.

[cups]

sac la bleu!

[pissant]

Happy hunting!!

[Forward the Light Brigade]

France-America fighting together—just like old times. I do not envy the enemy.

[DieHard the Hunter]

Great tattoo, it looks Polynesian to me. Tahiti maybe? Maori?

[Servant of the Cross]

France-America fighting together—just like old times.

[Lurker]

It's difficult to say where that particular marking comes from.

The Foreign Legion gives you a 'new name' when you join and when you get out, assuming you survive your tour of course, you're free to keep it and take French citizenship.

And as far as the French government is concerned that is who you always have been and always will be.

L

[stefanbatory]

hmmm...that sounds like a tempting proposal...from France I could move to any EU country I want...

[Jimmy Valentine]

French Foreign Legion. Those are some tough hombre’s This type of fighting is what they train for.

[DieHard the Hunter]

What you say about the Foreign Legion is true. Everyone gets a “nom de guerre” upon joining, and a couple years later there is a “normalization” process everyone goes thru.

Tahiti is a part of French Polynesia, and thus France. I’m thinking it possible that the tattoo might be a souvenir of a posting to that part of the world.

The FFL know a fair bit about fighting muslim militants: their involvement in Afghanistan must be causing the militants’ actuaries some degree of stress, as their insurable risk just jumped up a notch or two.

[Ax]

The anchor patch on the guy’s sleeve leads me to believe that he is a French Marine. Having worked at several posts in Africa where the French military was active (Djibouti, Chad)and came away with a positive impression of their professionalism. Those Legionnaires are some BAD dudes.

[La Enchiladita]

Dude looks Samoan.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Dude looks Samoan.

He certainly does! The chunky physique and the tattoo (see #7) would confirm your suggestion.

[ASOC]

LOL

I’m pretty sure the “800 French legionnaires” have thier own idea of what ROE to follow.

The FFL scares the bejzez of most Arabs, and for good reason.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Not sure what I would do if that guy took my parking spot.