Target Centermass

Category: Europe

  • France Wants U.S. Pullout on Agenda

    France is placing restrictions on its participation in a possible international conference on Iraq. The unusual thing is that I have no problems with the French demands, as they are stated in this article.

    France said Monday that it would take part in a proposed international conference on Iraq only if the agenda included a possible U.S. troop withdrawal, thus complicating the planning for a meeting that has drawn mixed reactions.

    Fine, a possible U.S. withdrawal can be discussed. Our representatives, however, are allowed to smirk and chuckle at will. During this portion of the conference, speaking with a mockingly silly French accent is encouraged.

    Paris also wants representatives of Iraq’s insurgent groups to be invited to a conference in October or November, a call that would seem difficult for the Bush administration to accept.

    Fine, we’ll invite the terrorists. There will be no promises of safe passage, or even survival. Body cavity searches to be expected prior to each session.

    Otherwise, I couldn’t care less if France participates. They bring no value to the table unless they are bearing croissants.

    France needs to realize that, short of a Kerry victory in November, they could be whining and cringing their way into international obsolescence. I, personally, do not think of them as an ally. Instead, they are an obstruction, freely selling arms to any country, be that customer friend or foe to the U.S., and occasionally asking us to rescue them or take over their messes.

  • NATO to Expand Iraq Training Mission

    After much wrangling, NATO has checked in on the idea of contributing to the now-free nation of Iraq.

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has agreed to create a military training academy in Iraq, expanding the alliance’s small presence in the country after two years of feuding over the US-led war.

    Ambassadors at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels reached the accord after resolving questions raised last week by France and Belgium over the mission’s financing and its relationship to the US-led multinational force.

    “Today NATO ambassadors agreed on the political directions to the military to enhance NATO assistance to the Government of Iraq in the training of its security forces,” NATO spokesman James Appathurai told reporters.

    ….

    France and others that opposed the war fear it could be tantamount to inserting NATO into the Iraqi battlefield through a back door.

    The alliance currently has a 40-strong operation performing training services in Iraq and the new accord is seen as expanding its presence to some 300.

    France, Germany and other opponents of the US-led war have said they will not have a presence in the country themselves.

    Yeah, NATO in da house.

    Except France, Germany, Belgium and Spain. Those four bastard countries are too scared to even involve themselves in freakin’ training a country to support itself.

    I’m tired of the worthlessness that is the UN. I’m quickly growing tired of the anachronism that is NATO (as it is currently structured). Perhaps it’s time we move forward and negotiate a new alliance. I’ll have to give thought to membership and acronym, but it would certainly exclude countries with no sack at all, specifically France. Hell, the cowards militarily withdrew from NATO decades ago, hoping we’d hold back the Red horde while they swept the streets of Paris for Russians on parade.

  • Website Claims Italian Women Executed in Iraq

    An Islamist website has posted a claim that the two female Italian aid workers kidnapped on Sept. 7 have been executed.

    A group calling itself the Jihad Organization says it has executed two Italian female hostages in Iraq.

    The organisation has reportedly issued a statement on an Islamist website, but the authenticity of the claim can not be confirmed.

    Referring to aid workers Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, without naming them, it says the pair were executed after the Italian government failed to pull out of Iraq.

    I posted my thoughts on how dangerous this particular kidnapping was to all involved parties. My newest prediction: do not expect videos of this terroristic barbarism to be posted anytime soon, if ever. There is absolutely no benefit to the Islamist bastards in doing so. If a video does surface, it will only confirm that we are not fighting sick, twisted wackos, but rather sick, twisted wacko morons.

    If the story of these murders is true, it will be interesting to watch Italy’s reaction, as well as that of the muslim world.

  • 5 EU Countries Set Up Military Policing Force

    Good news, y’all. The Euros are now working together, putting together a fearsome military force.

    Five European Union countries have agreed to set up a new defense body that can be deployed in European and other countries to help with crisis management.

    EU countries that have agreed to set up Eurogendfor all possess police forces with a military status. They include Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.

    The new defense body will be based in Vicenza, in northern Italy. It will have an initial rapid reaction force of 800 men deployable within a maximum of 30 days.

    Read the link. 800 troops, with enough checks on them to effectively prevent this group from ever doing anything more significant than manning crossroads and handing out rations.

    Oh, and they could probably defend Luxembourg from a Paraguayan invasion. I would scoff more were Italy not involved.

  • Luxembourg Holds Massive World War II Liberation Celebrations

    Luxembourg celebrates, remembers and thanks.

    Luxembourg was only a brief stop for American forces sweeping through France on their way to Germany in World War II. But the liberation of the tiny country of 450,000 left strong memories.

    There were bands, speeches, church services, and commemoration medals as this small country looked back to remember the day that its precious freedom was restored from German occupation.

    In one ceremony at Luxembourg’s American military cemetery, where General George Patton is buried, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker hailed the American contribution.

    “This is a day of thankfulness to these brave American soldiers who from the other side of the ocean came to Europe, and came to this tiny country, to liberate this country,” the prime minister said.

    Luxembourg invited 20 American veterans who took part in the liberation 60 years ago, to return to the country for observances. The oldest of those, 90-year-old John Colligan of New York, said recognition means a lot.

    “These people, 60 years later, they’re doing it because of appreciation,” he said. “And that’s a long time to keep your mind set that you want to show your appreciation. I admire them for that.”

    Pretty good stuff. And then I came to this:

    Luxembourgers have their own perspectives on the war. For 82-year-old Victor Fischbach, it was unique. He was forced into the German army like many other able-bodied Luxembourg men. But he later escaped, and, with the help of a priest, spent 13 months hiding in a Luxembourg church with several of his countrymen. Mr. Fischbach says liberation will never be forgotten by Luxembourg.

    “When an American speaks about Europe he must think that Luxembourg is, maybe, the best friend, the strongest friend,” said Mr. Fischbach. “And we’ll never forget what we are owing to America. From time to time, I go to the military cemetery, the American cemetery. I go alone and I cry, I cry. I can’t help, I cry. And I say, go there. If you don’t believe any more in America. Go there, and you will find again, and see again what they have done for us.“

    Not all have forgotten or, rather, have chosen to not remember.

  • City Falls to Muslims

    Afghanistan is moving towards elections. Iraq pacification and democratization is in motion. Whither next in the war on Islamic terror? So many targets to consider. Syria. Iran. Sweden.

    Sweden?!!

    This read is as disgusting as it is alarming. (hat tip to Rusty Shackleford)

  • Confusion Over Fate of French Hostages in Iraq

    The terrorist scum holding two French journalists are apparently claiming that they neither asked for a $5 million ransom nor set a 48-hour deadline.

    An Internet statement purportedly from the Islamic Army in Iraq militant group holding Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot dismissed a statement that appeared on the Web on Monday in the name of the militants.

    “There is absolutely no truth to the statement carried by the media on the Internet … comprising financial and other demands,” said the statement, posted on a Web site identified as belonging to the Islamic Army in Iraq.

    Another statement on the same Web site said the group was warning “any party whatsoever from interfering” in the case of the French hostages, who were both seized on Aug. 20.

    “The Islamic Army’s legal committee will announce its decision soon, God willing,” said the statement.

    France, oblivious to the reality that is the global threat of Islamist terror, remains befuddled.

    France was stunned by the kidnappings because it had opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq and has not sent troops to the country.

    I’ve searched, but it seems there’s no truth that a new Maginot Line is being constructed. Apparently, even that would be taking too strong a stance.

    Can we please stop referring to France as an ally? Two-plus centuries ago, fine. Since then, only at their need, not ours. Hell, they bailed out of the military side of NATO in the darkest hours of the Cold War.

  • A European Conversation

    Maggie Gallagher writes of a recent discussion she had with a Swiss mother, and the column takes a look at the opposing American and Euroweenie worldviews. (Hat tip to Blackfive)

    “People hate you. Everyone hates you. The whole world hates you.” The pretty middle-aged woman, a Swiss mother and scholar, at the dinner table in Geneva earnestly wants to make that perfectly clear.

    She isn’t angry with me. She thinks the American people are totally ignorant, misled by the media and a criminal president. She also thinks the United States invaded Afghanistan in order to grab an oil pipeline.

    This is my test of whether conversation is possible. I can understand how Europeans can believe the war in Iraq was about oil. After all, European nations like France and Russia had been benefiting from sweetheart oil deals in Iraq for years. But Afghanistan?

    Go give it a read. I found this snippet rather telling:

    Does it sometimes take a war in order to achieve justice? Fifty-five percent of Americans strongly agree. Only 18 percent of Europeans do.

    Trust me, I know how these “conversations” can go. Worse yet, my girlfriend’s Swiss brother-in-law drinks the Michael Moore brand of kool-ade.

  • Women Hostages Seized in Baghdad Raid

    The abduction today of two Italian women in Baghdad may prove to be the biggest test to date for Italy and the Coalition of the Willing.

    Armed to the teeth, the kidnappers beat up a hapless guard, dragged a screaming Iraqi hostage by her hair and took off in broad daylight.

    Two Italian women — Simona Pari and Simona Torretta — and an Iraqi man were also abducted when 20 gunmen stormed a Baghdad villa housing the headquarters of two Italian humanitarian organisations today without firing a single bullet.

    The unusual abduction of women is likely to further alarm foreigners already on edge from widespread kidnappings.

    Per al-Jazeera, it appears that these two women were specifically targetted by the terrorists.

    Iraqi journalist Abd Allah Khudair told Aljazeera: “The operation only took five minutes.”

    “A three-car force broke into the organisation’s building and tied the hands of one of the staff and threw the others on the floor”.

    “The militants asked the names of the staff until they reached Simona Pari and the office head, Simona Torretta, who were captured by the militants,” Khudair added.

    At this point, any particular significance of these two is unknown, but the abduction immediately sent the Italian government scurrying.

    Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was to return to Rome on Tuesday for an emergency cabinet meeting following the reported kidnapping of two Italian women in Iraq, officials said.

    Berlusconi, currently in northern Italy, was immediately informed of the abduction of the two, who were working for the Italian charity Un Ponte Per Baghdad (Bridge to Baghdad) in the Iraqi capital.

    A top Berlusconi aide has called an emergency meeting of all ministers concerned to discuss the situation in Iraq following the kidnapping of the women, who have been identified as Simona Pari and Simona Torretta.

    ….

    Italy, a strong supporter for the US-led war in Iraq, is still recovering from the execution of Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni.

    The kidnapped reporter was murdered on August 26 after Rome refused to bow to demands from the militant group to pull its troops out of the country.

    This was a bold and dangerous move by the terrorists, and there may eventually be no winners in this game. After all, change the nationality and this becomes the possible nightmare scenario that is still looming over the U.S. military after women were allowed on, over or near the battlefield.

    There are many possible ways this can play out for all involved:

    • The terrorists risk an immediate backlash from the muslim community for involving civilian women
    • The Italian government may have to make some hard choices — bail out of the war, deal with the scumbags, or stand firm and risk the lives of women, possibly leading to an upheaval on the home front
    • If Italy stands firm, the terrorists may execute the women, but this will almost certainly have a tremendous negative fallout in the Islamic world
    • It’s a crapshoot how Italy and some other nations would react to such an execution — knuckle under or come out guns a’blazing
    • The U.S. is forced to ride a razor’s edge here, capable of little (barring a storybook rescue), with much potentially gained and much potentially disastrously lost.

    A zero-sum game? Who knows? Perhaps a quick release is the only way to prevent losses for all involved. I’m not even going to pretend to predict the effect of execution videos hitting the internet in this case. My best hopes go out for these women, and the civilized world better pay close attention to how this one unfolds.

  • Russia, Israel Agree on Anti-Terror Union

    Based upon the shared burden of what is increasingly, albeit belatedly, recognized as a common enemy, Russia’s foreign minister has welcomed an offer by Israel of assistance against terror. It seems, however, that Russia isn’t quite to the point of understanding the story being played out on the global stage.

    While showing willingness to work with Israel against militants, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any counter-terrorism alliance would have to include Arab countries — in a nod to Russia’s traditional allies in the region.

    “We appreciate the very strong readiness of the Israeli people to help Russia at this hour and this will certainly strengthen the counterterrorist coalition these days,” Lavrov said.

    “We certainly are taking into account the need to be more effective,” he told reporters during a visit to President Moshe Katsav.

    In a meeting with Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres, Lavrov said terrorism is one of the biggest challenges facing the international community.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news – web sites), in a telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin (news – web sites) on Sunday, proposed expanded intelligence coordination between the two countries.

    However, Lavrov was careful to point out that Israel was one of several Middle Eastern countries with which Russia coordinated on security issues, including Saudi Arabia, Syria and other Arab states.

    “Terrorism doesn’t have any nationalities,” he said. “I believe the key to the solution of the problem is to bring all countries to fight terror and I can assure you that in addition to our very close counterterrorist cooperation with Israel we have similar counterterrorist cooperation with Arab countries.”

    Yes, I see some value in saying any mideast alliance would have to include Arab nations. That value would be the maintenance of Russia’s traditional regional allies, who are, unfortunately, part of the problem currently. Also, the insistence of the inclusion of an Arab state precludes the inclusion of Israel.

    I also note the “terrorism doesn’t have any nationalities” portion. While this is true, it would also be true, and in my mind crucially important, to finally admit that Islamic terrorism most assuredly has tendencies towards a small number of nationalities.

    The global war on Islamic terror is currently being fought in four theaters:

    • Israel and the Israeli-controlled regions
    • Afghanistan, involving the U.S., NATO and other allies
    • Iraq, with the U.S, British, Polish, Australian, Japanese forces, among others
    • Russia, with essentially anywhere and anyone in that vast region a potential target

    Unfortunately, short of the Afghani and Iraqi theaters, there is little if any realization that these four hotspots are related. In fact, the American and Euro left have worked feverishly to separate Iraq from the campaign against Islamic fascism. This is essentially akin to arguing that Operation Torch, the invasion of Vichy-controlled Northern Africa in 1943 was not part of WWII because Hitler was in Berlin.

    No, these four areas must certainly be linked if the radical and expansionist Islamist movement is to be stopped. In fact, future battlegrounds assuredly lurk in the near future (e.g. Sudan, Syria, Iran, heck, many, many more, potentially). The sooner the good guys (and I have zero qualms phrasing it that way) realize the scope of the situation and that we are now entering World War IV, the sooner the Allies can intertwine and bolster each other’s efforts. The more radIslam spreads, the greater the eventual bloodbath will be.

    I’d wager that even some in France realize this.