France’s reunification into the NATO command hierarchy seems to be just a small part of an ambitious new defense plan.
Sounds exciting. But the language sounds vaguely familiar. Details?
Ah ha. It’s Rumsfeld v2.0. The whole Rumsfeldian “lighter, leaner” plan was the new defense hotness for a time, right up until it hit the brick wall that was the Iraqi insurgency. Now the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and even the Air Force (post-purges) are bulking up for the first time in 15 years. Technology, advanced that it may be, simply can not replace boots on the ground. Not when 100 dollar insurgent bombs kill 1 million dollar weapon systems. Light and leaner failed the US military. But, interestingly enough, it might work for France. The Fifth Republic hasn’t done much conquering in the last few decades, so they don’t really need a sizable occupation force. Sarkozy’s plan, to use superbly equipped and supplied French troops to shore up overall NATO efforts (like Afghanistan), may be just what the doctor ordered for both France and the alliance. Paris knows that it’s unlikely that they’ll be fighting a major theater war without the massive US military backing them up, so they’re posturing their forces to be -surprise!- a more effective team player. This coming from France of all places. Whodda thunk it?
