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French Reaper drone

NATOSource

Dec 19, 2013

France Deploying US-Made Drones to Hunt Al Qaeda in Mali

By Reuters

France will deploy its first U.S.-made unarmed surveillance drones to West Africa by the end of the year, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday, as it seeks to “eliminate all traces of al Qaeda.”

France
Sahel
French President François Hollande

NATOSource

Dec 18, 2013

French Seek Permanent EU Defense Fund

By Hugh Carnegy, Financial Times

In an effort to put its allies on the spot, President François Hollande is poised to demand, at a Brussels summit on Thursday, that the EU sets up a permanent fund to finance operations such as France’s intervention in the Central African Republic.

Africa
European Union
French soldier in Afghanistan

NATOSource

Dec 12, 2013

Is France Replacing the US as the World’s Policeman?

By Emily Cadei, OZY

With French troops on the ground in Mali and now the Central African Republic, French President Francois Hollande’s enthusiastic support for the aborted U.S. strikes in Syria and French diplomats’ tough line on negotiations with Iran

Africa
France
French National Assembly

NATOSource

Dec 11, 2013

Legislation Will Soon Expand Cyber Power of French Government

By Wall Street Journal

The pending French measures would require Internet providers, telecom operators and content companies to give up “communications, information or documents processed or preserved by their networks or electronic communications services” when demanded by law enforcement.

Cybersecurity
France
KFOR Headquarters

NATOSource

Dec 3, 2013

NATO: France Pulling Its Troops Out of Kosovo Mission

By AP and Reuters

From AP:  NATO’s supreme commander says France is pulling out of the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo because of commitments in Mali and Central African Republic.

France
NATO
European drone prototype, nEUron

NATOSource

Nov 19, 2013

European Defense Ministers Agree to Form ‘Drone Club’

By AP and AFP

From AP:  France, Germany and other European countries on Tuesday formed a “drone users club” to develop a rival to the U.S. and Israeli pilotless aircraft that dominate the field.

Drones
European Union
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius

NATOSource

Nov 19, 2013

French Foreign Minister Sees ‘Isolationist Tendency’ in US Foreign Policy

By Roger Cohen, New York Times

There is talk of the trauma of Aug. 31. On that Saturday afternoon President [Francois] Hollande took a call from President [Barack] Obama.

France
Iran
French fighter jet refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker, March 17, 2013

NATOSource

Nov 4, 2013

The Role of the US Air Force in the French Mission in Mali

By Gabe Starosta, Air Force Magazine

France’s intervention in Mali earlier this year—helping its former colony defend against Islamic extremists—didn’t get the media attention lavished on the overthrow of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi or the crisis in Syria. But the Mali mission has so far proved successful

France
Sahel
The Franco-German Brigade

NATOSource

Nov 1, 2013

The Widening Gap Between France and Germany Over Defense

By Judy Dempsey, Strategic Europe

Steadfast Jazz takes place against the background of a widening gap between France and Germany over defense and security matters.

European Union
France
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and German Minister of Defense Thomas de Maizière, March 11, 2011

NATOSource

Oct 22, 2013

German Plan to Reform NATO Faces Broad Opposition

By Matthias Gebauer, Gregor Peter Schmitz and Christoph Schult, Spiegel

German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière wants to strengthen cooperation among NATO members and is calling for reform of the military alliance. But other countries are skeptical.

France
Germany

Experts