France Hints at Answering Canada's Call

From the Globe and Mail
France is a part of NATO?? I thought they quit years ago...

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA — The Canadian government dispatched a team of Defence Department officials to Paris Friday to discuss the logistics of a possible French deployment in southern Afghanistan.

And although a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it "should come as no surprise" that the government would send officials to follow up its efforts to find a country willing to send troops to Kandahar, the delegation to France is the only one organized so far -- and the country is now seen by Canadian officials as the key hope for a troop commitment.

The French Defence Minister suggested Thursday that his country would help Canada in its search for additional combat troops and equipment, but stopped short of making any specific pledges and urged Canada to be patient.
Hervé Morin, the French Defence Minister, said he suggested to Mr. MacKay his country would assist if Canada waits a little longer.

“I said that we would help the Canadians. I know that [French President Nicolas Sarkozy] has extraordinary relations with your head of government, and I indicated to him that all this must be done as part of a global reflection on the reorganization of NATO forces,” Mr. Morin said at a news conference.

“And if I had a message to address to Canadian public opinion, it's to have a little bit of patience, since late March is close to early April, and early April is the time of the Bucharest summit.”

Any help is welcome, even if it is the French.