A Canadian ultimatum on Afghanistan is forcing allies to take seriously the troubling question of why some countries are being forced to shed more blood than others in the battle against Taliban insurgents, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said here Thursday. Gates said he urged allied defence ministers to heed Canada’s warning that it will withdraw its 2,500 soldiers from the dangerous Kandahar region next February unless the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) comes up with 1,000 more troops and more equipment to assist the Canadian effort.
And–surprise, surprise–look who appears to be stepping up:
French Defence Minister Herve Morin indicated after a meeting with Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay that France will come to Canada’s assistance, although he played down reports that some 700 paratroopers could be deployed to help the effort in Kandahar. “I said that we would help the Canadians,” Morin told reporters, adding that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has “extraordinary relations” with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “And I indicated to him that all this must be done as part of a global reflection on the reorganization of NATO forces,” Morin said.
While the French get a bad rap for a poor 20th century combat record (described by my old history professor as “a sled ride downhill after World War I”), their armed forces are actually quite capable. I remember chatting with a major in the French paratroopers some years ago, who felt it was his personal responsibility to absolve the country of that “cheese eating surrender monkey” stigma (he also hated Chiraq, for what it’s worth). Those guys are eager to get in the fight, and I’m just as eager to see what they can do. I do wonder how America’s reputation across the pond is affecting the NATO debate. When Gates challenges European commitment, they scoff at the effrontery. When Canadians say what is in effect the exact same thing, ears magically open.
