This incident should be embarassing:
French officials said they were not concerned that the Taliban had captured a Milan anti-tank missile launcher, and two missiles. This happened during an operation in the Alasai Valley, north of Kabul, on the 18th. About a hundred Taliban attacked 300 French troops and the French withdrew, leaving behind the missiles in their haste. Smart bombs were used to kill at least 14 of the attackers. French officials said all the French troops got away, and that the Taliban would not be able to use the Milan missiles without special training.
Wow. Three hundred French troops managed a harrowing escape in the face of about one hundred Taliban. As Napoleon explained, the morale is to the physical as three is to one.
Our troops recently managed to fight and win when heavily outnumbered.
This is just a reminder that although even our Left claims they support victory in Afghanistan (if barely and I doubt for long), the rest of the world doesn't think Afghanistan is the "good war." The French were unwilling to fight because they don't really feel at war there. And the departure of George W. Bush in January won't change that fact.
Would it be cruel to note that the French had special training in using Milan anti-tank missiles yet managed not to use them? I dare say the Taliban will manage to use their new missiles.
War tourists. Nothing but war tourists.