No links here. Not needed. I have personal experience with French troops (granted it was 16 years ago but I doubt the quality has deteriorated). They are some of the most professional and qualified soldiers I have worked with. French troops are on par (and sometimes better) than ours. When you invest in a smaller army you can also focus on a more elite one as well.



>Many saw France's refusal to support the war in Iraq as a kiss-off of the US. And many jokes flew about helping France in WWII because they have no ability to defend themselves.
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>>In some quarters there is a government-sponsored attitude towards Americans that closely resembles the "Kristallnacht" thinking we saw a few generations ago. You're assigned blame for everything people dislike in their lives, which justifies attacks on you. It's very difficult to defend yourselves against it without adopting sosme of the behaviors of which you are accused. That's why the US needs to renew its friendships IMHO. Opinion polls still place France below Russia on the US opinion sh*t list... why? France has been a friend to the US forever.