Tuesday, August 19, 2008
France pays a price: No surrender monkey jokes allowed
France lost ten soldiers today in Afghanistan, but Sarko is doubling down:
The French soldiers were on a reconnaissance mission when they were ambushed Monday afternoon by a force of about 100 militants in the mountains of Surobi, an insurgent redoubt 30 miles east of the Afghan capital of Kabul.
France's top military official, Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, said most of the French casualties came in the minutes after the soldiers ascended a mountain pass. Battles ensued and 21 French soldiers were wounded.
French Defense Minister Herve Morin said about 30 militants were killed and 30 wounded, while Afghan officials said at least 13 militants were killed. Taliban fighters and militants allied to renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar operate in Surobi.
It was the deadliest attack on international troops in Afghanistan since June 2005, when 16 American soldiers were killed when their helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.
The high casualties prompted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to immediately board a plane for Afghanistan. France is sending 700 more soldiers to Afghanistan this month, and the deaths could heighten domestic opposition to the plan.
"In its fight against terrorism, France has just been struck severely," Sarkozy said in a statement, adding: "My determination remains intact."
Whether or not it has always been so, today France bore the burden of war and her president dug in his heels. We should be grateful, and say as much. The TigerHawk ban on mocking France that has been in force since the election of Sarkozy continues until further notice.
2 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue Aug 19, 07:44:00 PM:
Nos condolescences for the brave French soldiers.
By , at
Tue Aug 19, 09:00:00 PM:
"On Ne Passe Pas" is the inscription on my grandfathers Verdun medal.
Thank you France, for your sacrifice.
