France Ready to Strike Syria

[asianobserve]

Your statement makes no sense, of course a coalition is preferable to going alone. France is no stranger as we did in Mali, but we waited until we ran out of time.

If America can invade Iraq without French support then France should be able to attack (not even invade) Syria without much problems. As what you always trumpet in every opportunity France has much better military hardware than the US. Besides, there's no shortage of coalition against Syria. Turkey has long been calling for direct actions against Syria. Saudi Arabia and Jordan can also support France. Anyway, France does not need any military support from anyone against Syria, right? Certainly France can does not need military support from the US not even diplomatic support since America is despised everywhere, more so within France. So why not attack Assad with shiny Rafales...?

 

[Ray]

If America can invade Iraq without French support then France should be able to attack (not even invade) Syria without much problems. As what you always trumpet in every opportunity France has much better military hardware than the US. Besides, there's no shortage of coalition against Syria. Turkey has long been calling for direct actions against Syria. Saudi Arabia and Jordan can also support France. Anyway, France does not need any military support from anyone against Syria, right? Certainly France can does not need military support from the US not even diplomatic support since America is despised everywhere, more so within France. So why not attack Assad with shiny Rafales...?

The French do not really have much in terms of success of recent past.

Vietnam, Algeria and so on.

Therefore, going it alone may not be the option.

And anyway, if Islamic Govts (be they ruthless, which they invariably are) can keep fundamentalist terrorists at bay, why upset them and open up a can of worms that plague the world thereafter?

Therefore, I think, let sleeping dogs lie, as the English idiom goes.

 

[pmaitra]

Your statement makes no sense, of course a coalition is preferable to going alone. France is no stranger as we did in Mali, but we waited until we ran out of time.

The statement by @asianobserve makes perfect sense. If France really had the capability, it would have already started bombing Syria. You have not explained why it hasn't done so, given your claim below:

I'm 110% sure France can do whatever it wants, my guess is the US will support French action in Syria with a coalition.

Let France go it alone and prove me wrong. Till then, your comments are just jingoism and unnecessary chest-thumping.

 

[Armand2REP]

The statement by @asianobserve makes perfect sense. If France really had the capability, it would have already started bombing Syria. You have not explained why it hasn't done so, given your claim below:

The US has the power to go it alone but they seek coalitions which makes the comment nonsensical.

Let France go it alone and prove me wrong. Till then, your comments are just jingoism and unnecessary chest-thumping.

We already went alone to Mali which was a brilliant success, so it isn't jingoism, it is fact.

 

[pmaitra]

The US has the power to go it alone but they seek coalitions which makes the comment nonsensical.

Establish your claim that France can go it alone, and answer the question by @asianobserve that if France can indeed go it alone, why it hasn't. We are discussing your claim that France can go it alone, not going with a coalition, so any mention of the merit of going with a coalition isn't relevant at all, and a non-sequitur.

We already went alone to Mali which was a brilliant success, so it isn't jingoism, it is fact.

France's bravado stops as Mali, and I get that. Syria isn't Mali.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

France's bravado stops as Mali, and I get that. Syria isn't Mali.

More than bravado. Give credit where due.


2 Successful Elections: Democracy Grows in Mali

Six months ago the prospect of democratic elections in Mali seemed preposterous. Skepticism was warranted. How does a nation that is plagued by poverty, has deep divisions between segments of its population and has experienced a coup go from being nearly overrun by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other jihadists to elections in such a short period?

While the majority of the credit for two credible elections can be attributed to the resolve of Malians, if not for France's military intervention in January and the actions of the international community that followed, instead of elections we might have seen a staggering loss of life and a country devolved into complete chaos.

 

[pmaitra]

2 Successful Elections: Democracy Grows in Mali

S

What France did in Mali is good. My comment wasn't about whether it was a good or bad job. My comment was whether France can go it alone in Syria, given whatever it has done in Mali.

 

[nrupatunga]

Then we would have to use the UK Akrotiri base or something in Jordon, heaven forbid Turkey.

Will cyprus agree to that even if UK leases its base to france?? Jordan?? how will you goto jordan in 1st place. jordan doesn't have a med seashore. The only opening is on red sea?? why not turkey, afterall they are your nato allies, right?? Also france and ottomans certainly didn't have bad relations, sometimes both of you had "good"relations to balance out britain in west asia, right??

 

[Ray]

The US has the power to go it alone but they seek coalitions which makes the comment nonsensical.

Obama is a careful chap politically.

He does not appear to be the one to unilateral decision - what the US terms as CYA.

That is why he is roping in the Congress.

That is why he want the sheen of morality by having the UN endorse the action!

Indeed, US has the power to go at it alone.

But there is an adage - Once bitten, twice shy! Remember Iraq and the never ending flow of body bags??

Obama does not want to be blamed for body bags and the US is very sensitive about body bags!

The US is not a third world or developing country where citizens' lives are not material!

 

[Ray]

Mali and Syria?

Militarily is there any comparison?

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Mali and Syria?

Militarily is there any comparison?

The opposing force in Syria is much greater and better equipped than in Mali.

Perhaps there is a hypothesis that with the FSA, France can reduce the odds.

But the insurgents in Syria clearly would be a tactical liability, from the reporting I have seen.

 

[asianobserve]

Actually when the French talks about "coalition" it is a coalition with the Americans. Even if UK will declare willingness to join France in bombing Syria I suspect that would not be enough of a "coalition." The right coalition for France in any Syrian attack is a coalition with America (forget other mid-ranked powers).

And regarding MAli, the French have to thank UK, Canada and the US for the success of its mission. Without the heavy lift provided by these countries to France the latter may not have been able to sustain the intense tempo it has started in Mali. Also it must not be forgotten that the Americans provided invaluable mid-air refueling assets for French jets. The French Air Force alone could not have sustained the refueling demands of the Mali air ops. The Americans also provided drones and other intelligence gathering assets that allowed the France forces on the ground to have a better hold on the situation since France does not have much of these assets. Now if in Mali France has exhibited serious shortcomings then how much more against Assad alone?

 

[natarajan]

why dont you strike Srilanka as there is lot of reasons to do it and also you can get eelam for tamil people and a base in Indian ocean

 

[Dinesh_Kumar]

> France are doing this to prove that they have b***s.........

> They want Influence in the world

> They want to test Military doctrine and Weapon Systems like Rafael

> They know that Syria dont have Nukes and cant retaliate, they wont try same with country like Pakistan, who has nukes

> They dont give a rats ass to the "Sufferings and Sectarian Violence of Syrian people", and most french men do not fully understand the issues, it is not their concern at all......

 

[nrupatunga]

'France cannot go in alone' on Syria, official says

"France cannot go in alone," French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said in a radio interview.

Despite saying France needed to wait, Valls said that Assad needed to be punished.

So it seems french feels that usa congress will give a go ahead for strikes.

@Armand2REP It seems french have to wait for usa, else your allies the syrian rebels will have to go alone, and assad will not be punished.

 

[Armand2REP]

Will cyprus agree to that even if UK leases its base to france?? Jordan?? how will you goto jordan in 1st place. jordan doesn't have a med seashore. The only opening is on red sea?? why not turkey, afterall they are your nato allies, right?? Also france and ottomans certainly didn't have bad relations, sometimes both of you had "good"relations to balance out britain in west asia, right??

We don't need Cyprus permission to use the sovereign base at Akrotiri, just UK. Airbases in Jordan would be great, but Turkey is a NATO ally with a joint AFB at Incirlick. They are no fan of Assad. We could tank from UAE but it would be far easier to do it from Crete.

 

[pmaitra]

Riddle: What is the difference between the French Foreign Legion and the "Free" Syrian Army?

Spoiler

Answer: Nothing.

They were/are both composed of murderers, robbers, butchers, and liars, clubbed into a mercenary force.

 

[vishwaprasad]

Once Rafale starts storming over Syria theres nothing that can stop it....it will hardly take 2 days for Rafales to wipe out entire air defense and air force of Syria....but I wish that matter is solved peacefully

 

[Armand2REP]

Once Rafale starts storming over Syria theres nothing that can stop it....it will hardly take 2 days for Rafales to wipe out entire air defense and air force of Syria....but I wish that matter is solved peacefully

All of the modern SAMs Syria has acquired from Russia fall under SHORAD so there isn't anything to really challenge Rafale. Even M2000 upgrades can handle their IADs, the only concern is SEM, they would be slaughtered.

 

[nrupatunga]

After Bold Step on Syria, French Leader Finds Himself Dismissed as Lackey

Public opinion is running strongly against him; a poll published this weekend in the conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro showed about two-thirds of the French opposed to military action against Syria. There are growing demands that he grant Parliament a vote on the matter, and considerable speculation that he could lose if he did.

Having quickly agreed to join in a military action, France is now forced to wait on the sidelines while Congress debates whether to give its approval. Mr. Hollande's critics say he looks like a lackey.