The Financial Times has a brief article describing further breakdown in the security relationship between Great Britain and France, nominal NATO allies.
Plans to allow the French government open access to details of the new [$4.4 billion] British aircraft carrier, discussed by Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac at their Le Touquet summit in February, have been blocked by the British government. Ministers are keen to promote co-operation with the French on defence procurement, partly in the hope of winning orders for British companies when Paris commissions a second aircraft carrier this summer. But the souring of Anglo-French relations over Iraq rang alarm bells in government over the proposed extent of co-operation between the two governments on carriers.
STRATFOR published an analysis today, stating: "London's move is likely more than a matter of pique generated by diplomatic acrimony over Iraq. Instead, it appears that officials may have genuine concerns that sharing sensitive military information with France poses a security risk."
France is not an ally and an ongoing problem - more than an annoyance. Hard to see how this can improve without "regime change" in Paris.
Posted by Alan at April 16, 2003 11:37 PM