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1 the French Navy in the Global War On THE FRENCH NAVY IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM Victor Bouvéron, Intern at the Naval Historical Center’s Contemporary History Branch The French Global War on Terrorism Following September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001, France has put forward an action plan for Afghanistan and has brought military help to the USA within the Enduring Freedom Operation (EFO). France has also contributed to the EFO by deploying naval forces in the Indian Ocean. In 2006, five years after 9/11, the French press analysed the situation of France in its Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). In Lib ération (11.09.06), one of the most prominent newspapers in France, Marc Hecker, researcher at the French Institute, pointed up a threefold break since 9/11. First, with the killing of nearly 3000 people, non-state entities have shown their ability to reach a high level of destruction. Second, 9/11 brought back the specter of the use of ever more lethal technologies. The availability of information, which is becoming more and more accessible to the public thanks to Internet, has made chemical or biological attacks easier. Third, according to Hecker, 9/11 has inaugurated a “cycle” of similar events. Among others Madrid and London: European capital cities are now directly involved in the terrorism threat. According to Hecker, it is very likely to last. Many events such as Guantanamo and Abou Ghraib are put to use by the terrorists to recruit new followers. Aftermath of September 11th in France In another article published in Lib ération at the same time (18.11.06), Pierre Lellouche criticized the anti-American feeling in France. It reminds the author of the Cold War and the days of the “US go home” spirit. But Lellouche believes that this feeling, only expressed by some people of the elite of the nation, is not as strong as it was in 2003, when the war in Iraq broke out. France needs to maintain a strong alliance with the USA. In Le Monde Diplomatique (September 2006), a monthly publication providing analyses and opinions on politics, culture and current affairs, Alain Gresh pointed up a big change in French diplomacy in a few years. In the spring of 2003, French President Jacques Chirac was 1 then very popular in the Middle East - France was regarded as a leader of a coalition against the USA. Three years later, diplomatic relations in the Western world are back to normal. Paris and Washington are now walking side by side for every diplomatic issue: pressure on Iran and Syria, war on terrorism and sanctions on the new Palestinian government. But it also means that France is not shielded from violent actions in the Middle East anymore. Political relationships with Afghanistan and Iraq According to its Department of Foreign Affairs, France is one of the first nations having reactivated its diplomacy mission in Iraq, in April 29 th 2003. France has helped Iraqi people through a humanitarian help and cooperation actions. In November 2005, Paris and Baghdad signed an agreement to reduce Iraqi debt by four milliards of dollars. In 2002, France set up a plan to rebuild a devastated Afghanistan and put in a lot of effort to improve health, agriculture and education’s situation. The Department of Foreign Affairs also underlines that France is deeply involved with the training of the Afghan national army. In August 2007, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner came to Baghdad. This was the first trip made by a French government official in Iraq since Paris has opposed the US-led war against Saddam Hussein four years before. Pierre Rousselin, editorialist for Le Figaro , is delighted that France is “back in Iraq” ( Le Figaro , 20.08.07). Though some observers are critical of this visit, Rousselin believes the government made the right decision: France must help its allies finding solutions in Iraq. “France against Terrorism” In 2006, France draws up an anti-terrorism doctrine for the first time in its history. It is a book entitled: “France against terrorism - The government’s White Book on national security against terrorism” . This document was published after lengthy discussions within the governement. It analyzes the terrorism threat and France’s response strategies. Terrorism is defined as “a strategic threat” (Dominique de Villepin, ex-Prime Minister). Journalist Alain Gresh disagrees with this definition in Le Monde Diplomatique (November 2006) and believes it will only cause damage on the Arab world. 2 .
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