"BUFDRVR" a écrit dans le message de
...

I guess we'll agree to disagree.

Fair enough.

Why? The French government fails to provide the most basic assistance to a
US
strike operation and then has some of its citizens fall victim to Libyan
sponsered terrorists. Now you want the US, whose aircrew were
*intentionally*
put in increased danger by France, to feel sympathy for French civilians?

To answer your question : yes, as I want the French to feel sympathy for US
civilians whatever may be the sporadic political antagonisms between our
countries. Now, the French gvt did not *intentionaly* jeopardize the lives
of the US crews. For what purpose, and what was the "increased danger" in
avoiding French airspace anyway?
But, although I can think of possible explanations for the French decision,
I must acknowledge that it remains much of a mystery to me...

Somehow I think if the roles were reversed, French citizens would not shed
one
tear for the loss of US lives.

Don't bet on that.


As for the overflight rights, you easily forget that along with France,
Germany, Spain and Italy also refused to cooperate.

Germany *did* cooperate.

Really? I thought all involved planes, bombers and support ones, came only
from bases in the UK and the 6th Fleet's ships.

As for Spain and Italy, their required assistance was
the basing of tanker aircraft, not an operation altering issue.

Don't forget that Germany, Italy and Spain, like the UK, are NATO members
with US bases on their ground, which is not the case of France (though I
think the USAF sometimes operates from Istres AB near Marseilles). Still,
Spain refused the bombers to overfly its territory, which would have also
drastically shortened the trip, and thus forced them to navigate around,
over the Atlantic and through the strait of Gibraltar (IIRC, one F-111 made
an emergency landing in Spain due to mechanicla problems on its way back to
England).
But if you look at a map, and as you say Germany provided support, how come
the USAF planners didn't choose an eastern, shorter route? Or used only
carrier-based aircrafts?

France was
asked for almost nothing, but it was a critical nothing, and they refused.

And yet France allowed the UK-based US bombers to overfly its territory
during OIF despite its clear-cut opposition to it...

ArVa