Thursday, March 24, 2011

How ... French ... of Them

Even when they step up to the plate to fight over Libya, the French can't avoid acting like the French:

Tensions have even surfaced between London and Paris after the French, with characteristic bravado, launched the first air attacks against Gaddafi's forces on Saturday afternoon without bothering to inform their Nato allies. But then the French have always had a problem with taking orders from American generals, whatever Mr Sarkozy says about overcoming France's historic ambivalence for Nato's command structures.

Yeah, French-British command of the Libya mission after we hand off the baton will work out just swell.

This incident does not boost my confidence about how tighter French-British military integration will work out.