Detail of the Day (ie, "Just the facts ma'am")

[nitroman]

Perspective: During Pax Britannica the Royal Navy had a policy of being larger than any other two navies combined, in case they found themselves at war with the two simultaneously.

Detail of the Day: Today the United States Navy is larger than the next seventeen (17) largest navies combined.

[epipete]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

[nitroman]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

The USA's first entangling-alliance (ie, "We will go to war if you are attacked") was when NATO was formed. Each country in NATO is obliged to go to the other's defence if any one country is attacked.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

The USA's first entangling-alliance (ie, "We will go to war if you are attacked") was when NATO was formed. Each country in NATO is obliged to go to the other's defence if any one country is attacked.

Provided the US provides the personel and/or funds for the other countries to join in.

[nitroman]

Detail of the Day: Engineer Thomas Sopwith, the primary designer of the Sopwith Camel, lived until age 101 and was thus still alive in 1989. He remained an active aviation consultant through 1980. Although his company produced 18,000 planes it was defunct by 1920. His private yacht the Philante is today Norway’s royal yacht.

[nitroman]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

The USA's first entangling-alliance (ie, "We will go to war if you are attacked") was when NATO was formed. Each country in NATO is obliged to go to the other's defence if any one country is attacked.

Provided the US provides the personel and/or funds for the other countries to join in.

I was in Grenada and Desert Storm and have to admit I never worked with any allied nation whilst under fire, but still, even though the USA can do the initial job unilaterally, it’s nice to know other countries stand behind us.

In the more limited scope of a military youth I just wanted to perform our mission knowing we were free to get our gun on, because that is what we were trained to do. I never had a long-term deployment/occupation the way we do today. In reading of other historically occupied countries the quote, “I was only 13 years old and I now had an enemy whom I hated,” sticks with me.

I’ve watched on TV our soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan and have thought (knowing what I know today), “I would do that with so much more tact & respect.” You love people individually, but you can hate en mass.

Of all our deployment points the North German plain was the worst. Though we were in league there with NATO & independent German, French & British units, the thought of insertion, mission (optionally, relief) then extrication was naught. A fatal result (there) was almost assured. Death is the worst job of a soldier. Don’t you want to die with as many friends as you can? http://english167gallery.files.wordpres ... azing1.jpg

[epipete]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

The USA's first entangling-alliance (ie, "We will go to war if you are attacked") was when NATO was formed. Each country in NATO is obliged to go to the other's defence if any one country is attacked.

Interested to see if the Greeks would defend the Turks and vice versa, or the French would assist anyone! The Germans are tied up with post war non aggression treaties. Ah well, praise be for the Italians!

It was always NATO policy to hold back the 'red tide' until the 'Yanks' arrived, about 48 hours IIRC!

[nitroman]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

The USA's first entangling-alliance (ie, "We will go to war if you are attacked") was when NATO was formed. Each country in NATO is obliged to go to the other's defence if any one country is attacked.

Interested to see if the Greeks would defend the Turks and vice versa, or the French would assist anyone! The Germans are tied up with post war non aggression treaties. Ah well, praise be for the Italians!

It was always NATO policy to hold back the 'red tide' until the 'Yanks' arrived, about 48 hours IIRC!

I spoke to a shipman on board the Giuseppe Garibaldi who was a member of COMSUBIN. He told me the problem with the Italian Army is they have no military ethos, whilst COMSUBIN has that going for it.

As for the red tide it was expected in the early '80s our forces in Germany would be overrun in 72 hours.

[epipete]

Ah, yes, 2 or 3 days, I think you were right on 72hrs but that was before we had Mrs Thatcher, she was worth a day on her own!

[nitroman]

Ah, yes, 2 or 3 days, I think you were right on 72hrs but that was before we had Mrs Thatcher, she was worth a day on her own!

Based on the WW2/Dunkirk experience why doesn't the UK allow the French to base their entire army in the UK to begin with? That way they'll be available for fighting the war. (I'm about to take a French flogging!)

[nitroman]

Perhaps because the world is smaller now there is more chance of the US being embroiled in a multi-national confrontation!

The USA's first entangling-alliance (ie, "We will go to war if you are attacked") was when NATO was formed. Each country in NATO is obliged to go to the other's defence if any one country is attacked.

Interested to see if the Greeks would defend the Turks and vice versa, or the French would assist anyone! The Germans are tied up with post war non aggression treaties. Ah well, praise be for the Italians!

It was always NATO policy to hold back the 'red tide' until the 'Yanks' arrived, about 48 hours IIRC!

The 11 September attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter for the first time in its history. The Article says that an attack on any member shall be considered an attack on all.

Thus every NATO nation has committed troops in Afghanistan. Thanks guys! BTW we are all scheduled to leave en mass in 2014, cuz it's a NATO mission dude, and we hang tight.

Troops by country as of 2011: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISAF_troop ... statistics

[epipete]

Well yes, but we all know there are deployments and then there are deployments, Dude!

[alan e]

Where was NATO inc the United States when Argentina invaded the Falklands?

[nitroman]

Where was NATO inc the United States when Argentina invaded the Falklands?

Did the UK invoke article 5? It's all in the charter.

Don't know where the rest of NATO was, but the USA kept you supplied with all sorts of equipment. For just one example, Sidewinder missiles. The USA also took over all your NATO patrol responsibilites (planes, subs, ships) so you could redeploy those resources (remember, this was the Cold War). We also offered to loan you one of our nuclear carriers as long as you crewed it; said "Send your boys to Norfolk for the tutorial." Thus you could have had F-4s down there, and lots of them, had been that your pleasure.

Margaret had Ronnie's phone number, and anything else she wanted.

========================== That was MY answer. Here's the legal reply from WIKI. ============================

At first glance, it appeared that the U.S. had military treaty obligations to both parties in the war, bound to the UK as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to Argentina by the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the "Rio Pact"). However, the North Atlantic Treaty only obliges the signatories to support if the attack occurs in Europe or North America north of the Tropic of Cancer, and the Rio Pact only obliges the U.S. to intervene if one of the adherents to the treaty is attacked—the UK never attacked Argentina, only Argentine forces on British territory.

[epipete]

The Argies sank our ships using French Exocets! Even now with the Argies sabre rattling there is little political support in Europe or the States!

[alan e]

At this time of war we have helped the US out by sending them Simon Cowell not once have they said THANK YOU i rest my case

[nitroman]

All I can say is that any country blind to the special relationship between the US-UK is in for a surprise.

[nitroman]

Detail of the Day: Colchester was the capital of Roman Britain until sacked by Boudica in 61CE. London became the capital in 100CE.

Personally (based on all the prior flak!) I think you should move the capital to Stanley, Falkand Islands. That'd settle the issue and send a message!

[epipete]

Don't take it to heart Nitroman, some of us Brits still get a bit chippy over who is and who isn't with us when the proverbial hits the fan!

[epipete]

Detail of the Day:

Personally (based on all the prior flak!) I think you should move the capital to Stanley, Falkand Islands.

.......... why doesn't the UK allow the French to base their entire army in the UK to begin with?

Not since Napoleon has it been suggested that we move our Capital and allow the French army to take up residency!