An interesting article on Ivory Coast. The French had quite the choice: defend the sitting Marxist president who won election under dubious conditions; or support the rebels. They tried to split the difference based on their superior understanding of their crown jewel of west African ex-colonies and are getting burned. According to the article, "Philippe Moreau Defarges of the French Institute for International Relations, said, 'What is difficult is, we thought we understood this country. But we have discovered we do not understand this country.'" Neither side, apparently, appreciates the sophisticated nuances of French foreign policy. I hope they get their citizens out in one piece and don't get dragged into the middle of this fight.
I'm not by nature a cruel man, after all.
Oh, and apparently, our transport planes are surging.
About Me
- Brian J. Dunn
- I live and write in Ann Arbor, Michigan. University of Michigan AB and MA from Eastern Michigan University. One term in the Michigan Army National Guard. Former American history instructor and retired nonpartisan research analyst. I write on Blogger and Substack. Various military and private journals have published my occasional articles on military subjects. See "My Published Works" on the TDR web version or under the mobile version drop-down menu for citations and links.
