Nonno
Habari Na Mijeldi
Sarkozy to end France's 40-year Nato feud | World news | guardian.co.uk
"Nicolas Sarkozy has made the most symbolic foreign policy gesture of his presidency by announcing France's return to Nato's military command, and reversing Charles de Gaulle's decision to walk out in protest at US domination more than 40 years ago.
In an impassioned speech at Paris's military academy, Sarkozy said France's return to Nato's inner sanctum was long overdue. He dismissed as "lies" his political opponents' fears that French independence would now be sacrificed to America.
"A nation alone is a nation with no influence," he said of France's self-imposed exile from Nato's military command at the height of the cold war. He said it was logical that France, which is the fourth-biggest provider of troops to Nato and has led missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, should cement years of growing influence in Nato by retaking its place at the table of the integrated military command structure that plans and conducts operations.
The president said France could no longer believe that "waiting outside the door" as key Nato decisions were made would preserve French independence on defence issues. "We have to stop deluding ourselves that by burying our heads in the sand, we are capable of protecting anything," he said.
France's return to the fold of the US-led alliance will make little difference on the ground in missions such as Afghanistan, where it has more than 2,800 troops. But the historic gesture nonetheless faces resistance from the French political establishment, where distrust of Nato runs deep. Although two polls this week showed more than half the French public supported rejoining the alliance's military command, politicians remain divided."
"Nicolas Sarkozy has made the most symbolic foreign policy gesture of his presidency by announcing France's return to Nato's military command, and reversing Charles de Gaulle's decision to walk out in protest at US domination more than 40 years ago.
In an impassioned speech at Paris's military academy, Sarkozy said France's return to Nato's inner sanctum was long overdue. He dismissed as "lies" his political opponents' fears that French independence would now be sacrificed to America.
"A nation alone is a nation with no influence," he said of France's self-imposed exile from Nato's military command at the height of the cold war. He said it was logical that France, which is the fourth-biggest provider of troops to Nato and has led missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, should cement years of growing influence in Nato by retaking its place at the table of the integrated military command structure that plans and conducts operations.
The president said France could no longer believe that "waiting outside the door" as key Nato decisions were made would preserve French independence on defence issues. "We have to stop deluding ourselves that by burying our heads in the sand, we are capable of protecting anything," he said.
France's return to the fold of the US-led alliance will make little difference on the ground in missions such as Afghanistan, where it has more than 2,800 troops. But the historic gesture nonetheless faces resistance from the French political establishment, where distrust of Nato runs deep. Although two polls this week showed more than half the French public supported rejoining the alliance's military command, politicians remain divided."