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EU makes military debut in shadow of Iraq war
Reuters | Monday, March 31, 2003

Posted on 03/31/2003 7:08:44 AM PST by JohnHuang2

EU makes military debut in shadow of Iraq war

SKOPJE, Macedonia (Reuters) - The European Union launched its first military operation Monday, taking over NATO's small peacekeeping mission in Macedonia in a ground-breaking venture overshadowed by the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

EU officials have hailed the operation in the ex-Yugoslav republic, where government forces fought Albanian rebels in 2001, as a bright spot in the development of the bloc's common foreign and security policy, at a time of division over Iraq.

But the launch of Operation Concordia may draw little international attention because of the massive military action in the Gulf, which is backed by EU member Britain but opposed by Union heavyweights Germany and France.

A French general will be in charge of the force of 300 lightly armed peacekeepers drawn from 27 countries, including present and future members of the EU.

The force, known as EUFOR, replaces a NATO mission deployed since August 2001 to help safeguard peace in Macedonia after six months of conflict. EUFOR's main task will be to monitor the situation and show a visible international presence.

The fighting ended in Macedonia with a Western-brokered peace deal under which the guerrillas agreed to lay down arms in return for better rights for the large Albanian minority.

The impoverished country has since been mostly peaceful, despite sporadic violent incidents and reports of a shadowy rebel group, and a moderate Social Democrat-led government came to office last year after September general elections.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: eu; eufor; macedonia; nato; operationconcordia; peacekeeping
Monday, March 31, 2003

Quote of the Day by Texas Eagle

1 posted on 03/31/2003 7:08:44 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
And in related news, the French General in charge of the peacekeeping mission promptly surrendered his command to the Macedonian authorities who had stopped in for a little cognac...
2 posted on 03/31/2003 7:11:36 AM PST by EternalVigilance
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To: JohnHuang2
300 troopies from 27 countries?? What, one platoon per country? That's just dumb.
3 posted on 03/31/2003 7:13:18 AM PST by Gefreiter
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To: JohnHuang2

THIS JUST IN: "The terrorist enabling EU will soon arrive
in Iraq to remove evidence of French and German contributions to the Iraq WMD program
and to further hurt the American and UK position in Freedom for Iraq."

4 posted on 03/31/2003 7:15:59 AM PST by Diogenesis (If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.)
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To: Gefreiter
"300 troopies from 27 countries?? What, one platoon per country? That's just dumb."

The story of the Tower of Babel comes to mind. Or do they all speak Eurbonics, or Eurotrash....?

Breaking news from Macedonia: The french army called home and said that he is fine. He found a hiding place behind some German soldiers....
5 posted on 03/31/2003 7:18:01 AM PST by Semper Vigilantis ("We have wakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve." ADM Yamamoto Dec 7 1941)
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To: Gefreiter
"300 troopies from 27 countries?? What, one platoon per country? That's just dumb."

That's precisely why they're "lightly armed". If they were "heavily armed", somebody might try settling some old scores...

Diversity, EU-style...

6 posted on 03/31/2003 7:20:53 AM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE.)
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To: JohnHuang2
A French general will be in charge of the force of 300 lightly armed peacekeepers drawn from 27 countries, including present and future members of the EU.

A French General?? .. why does that not reassure me

7 posted on 03/31/2003 7:35:58 AM PST by Mo1 (Can I ask the media stupid questions?)
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To: JohnHuang2
A French general will be in charge of the force of 300 lightly armed peacekeepers drawn from 27 countries

What a deal.

8 posted on 03/31/2003 7:36:02 AM PST by Jeff Head
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To: Jeff Head
hehehehe! G'morning, amigo
9 posted on 03/31/2003 7:39:11 AM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2

The debut of EUFOR:


10 posted on 03/31/2003 7:39:49 AM PST by Timesink (Six hundred and four, Toxteth O'Grady, USA.)
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To: attagirl; Carry_Okie; countrydummy; KLT; hellinahandcart; Movemout; redrock; ...
This is an important move by the globalists.
11 posted on 03/31/2003 10:51:38 AM PST by sauropod (If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy...)
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To: sauropod
How so? Sounds like to me they are sitting themselves up to get killed! Or taken as hostages with the French leading the way!
12 posted on 03/31/2003 11:08:52 AM PST by countrydummy
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To: JohnHuang2
Mon Dieu... They didn't ask the UN!!!
13 posted on 03/31/2003 11:59:43 AM PST by Carry_Okie (Because there are people in power who are truly evil.)
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To: sauropod
EEEEU!!!
14 posted on 03/31/2003 12:01:15 PM PST by Carry_Okie (Because there are people in power who are truly evil.)
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To: JohnHuang2
300 lightly armed peacekeepers drawn from 27 countries...

Oh My God! It's the Rainbow Coalition! Racial and ethnic diversity with guns! Lead by a surrender Monkey! LOL!

The Macedonians must be quaking with fear and trepidation.

15 posted on 03/31/2003 12:34:19 PM PST by PsyOp
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To: JohnHuang2
bump ... with a french general they will morph into the french army ..... never fired, dropped once.
16 posted on 03/31/2003 12:39:16 PM PST by Centurion2000 (We are crushing our enemies, seeing him driven before us and hearing the lamentations of the liberal)
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To: sauropod
But the launch of Operation Concordia may draw little international attention because of the massive military action in the Gulf

Yep--pretty soon we'll hear about them all the time (just like FEMA)! Thanks, Sauropod, for the ping.

17 posted on 04/01/2003 2:23:18 PM PST by attagirl
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