Can we nuke Paris?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-09-16 08:07am

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... wstop.html

rench block airlift of British troops to Basra
By Henry Samuel and Michael Smith
(Filed: 16/09/2003)

The French government has told an airline that it is
not to ferry British troops to Basra, a ban that will be seen as reflecting Paris's opposition to the occupation of Iraq.

Corsair, which has been chartered numerous times to transport UK forces around the world, pulled out of a contract to fly reinforcements to Basra at the weekend.

About 1,400 more troops are being sent to Basra as part of an attempt to prevent the "strategic failure" predicted by Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, with a similar number expected to be announced within weeks.

A Corsair Airbus A330 was chartered to fly troops of the Royal Green Jackets from Brize Norton, Oxon, but at the last moment the French transport ministry grounded the aircraft citing safety concerns.

Transport ministry officials were reported yesterday as saying the move had nothing to do with safety but was a result of the intervention of the foreign ministry.

The foreign ministry denied the report, saying there was "no political motive". But British defence officials appeared to confirm that the ban was political and not technical.

"We have used them time and time again to fly troops into trouble spots," one said. "They have been everywhere for us. We always thought they were pretty robust."

A Corsair spokesman said most of the flights undertaken for the MoD took troops to training exercises. For security and insurance reasons they rarely flew to war zones.

"We did fly to Pristina during the Kosovo crisis, but only once it had been cleared for civil aviation."

Basra is already open to civilian aircraft.

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-09-16 08:12am

Do you have some sort of proof showing the plane wasn't grounded because of a technical fault?

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-09-16 08:16am

Looks like Corsair had some concerns in flying into a "war zone". They relayed those concerns to the government, and the government pulled the plug for them.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-09-16 08:51am

BoredShirtless wrote:Looks like Corsair had some concerns in flying into a "war zone". They relayed those concerns to the government, and the government pulled the plug for them.

and your making that statement based on what fact?

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-09-16 08:54am

Col. Crackpot wrote:
BoredShirtless wrote:Looks like Corsair had some concerns in flying into a "war zone". They relayed those concerns to the government, and the government pulled the plug for them.
and your making that statement based on what fact?

On the quote from the Corsair rep, and the government grounding the plane because of "safety concerns".

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-09-16 09:04am

Aircraft come under MANPADS fire from guerillas 'daily' according to one report I just read- it's only a matter of time before one connects.

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-09-16 01:52pm

So, my local regiment won't be shipping out any time soon.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2003-09-16 04:06pm

3rd Impact wrote:So, my local regiment won't be shipping out any time soon.

I don't think we need Domokuns in Iraq just yet.

The French suck, we should just hit Paris with Neutron bombs.

Dark Hellion · Post by **Dark Hellion** » 2003-09-16 04:18pm

Yes we can Shep.
If they can't stand 90 degree weather, what will 10,000,000 of nuclear fire do, I wonder.
Or, to actually be serious, France is filled with a bunch of arrogant assholes. I am sure their are a lot of nice French people, but you nice french people aren't making the news. Tell the assholes to sit down and shut up. Please. Or Shep might just have a Parisian Vacation. And you wouldn't like that.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-09-16 04:32pm

That would`nt be a good idea to atemp nuking Paris,remember they have a nuclear missile under the Eiffel tower(see Simpson`s Halloween Special)

Post by **NecronLord** » 2003-09-16 05:22pm

Montcalm wrote:That would`nt be a good idea to atemp nuking Paris,remember they have a nuclear missile under the Eiffel tower(see Simpson`s Halloween Special)

Actually, France has more nuclear weapons than the UK, including Le Neutron Bomb IIRC.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-09-16 05:29pm

Bomb them after we air lift out the leggy french supermodel's. I hereby claim Leatita Casta in the name of freedom.

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-09-16 05:59pm

No, I'm goung there on my class trip when I'm a senior!

But feel free to nuke it after I leave.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-09-16 06:38pm

No, we can't nuke Paris. I'm glad that question has been answered. Thread closed. I'm not going to tolerate your flame bait anymore, Shep.