Syria strikes see Macron-Trump bromance upstage US-UK special relationship

[FarCenter]

Emmanuel Macron’s carefully cultivated rapport with US President Donald Trump has seen France edge out the US-UK "special relationship" as the French leader heads to the US on a state visit following the weekend's strikes on Syria.

Less than five years ago, France was ready to act when Barack Obama drew his infamous “red line” on chemical attacks in Syria. But when the US president drew back from his threat of military action against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, it stunned and embarrassed his French counterpart, leaving François Hollande with a lingering sense of resentment. “This signal was interpreted as weakness from the international community,” Hollande later complained.

History has not repeated itself – and that’s a good sign for Obama’s and Hollande’s successors as Trump prepares to host Macron April 24 on the first official state visit of the Trump presidency.

On Saturday early morning, as US, French and British missiles rained down on three sites in Syria in a response to Assad’s suspected chemical attack on Douma, Paris was right by Washington’s side. France used five missile-equipped frigates based in the Mediterranean, in addition to five Rafale fighter jets, five Mirage 2000 jets and two AWAC radar-equipped planes. The attack also marked a first for the French military, with an inaugural combat operation use of the naval-borne MCDN missile system.

In contrast to the robust French display of military might and hardware, the UK fired just eight out of more than 100 missiles fired early Saturday, using four Tornado GR4 warplanes.

US-French military relations have come a long way from the “cheese-eating-surrender-monkey” days of the George W. Bush era. Back in 2003, when France refused to join the US-led invasion in Iraq, earning the ire of US neocons beating the war drums, the diplomatic focus was on the “special relationship” between US and Britain.

Today, British Prime Minister Theresa May appears to be relegated to symbolic partner status. Trump and Macron meanwhile, seem to be in the throes of a 'bromance' born out of respect generated from a never-ending handshake and nurtured by invitations to military parades and Eiffel Tower dinners designed to pander to Trump’s boyish, parvenu predilections.

http://www.france24.com/en/20180414-syria-france-usa-uk-trump-macron-bromance-military

[DFW]

1. Yeah, good luck with that

Macron is far too much of a pragmatist to let himself be led around by the nose by Trump. He's also smarter than Trump by several multiples. He will have seen through Trump in about 15 seconds, and will do what's best for him and France. To the extent that keeping Trump on his good side is advantageous, Macron will do that. But Macron can read a map as well as anyone. With England on one border and Germany on the other, he knows where his true allies are in a pinch. That is not in an Oval Office inhabited by an egomaniac in an early stage of dementia, controlled by some Machiavellian types who would yawn if Putin occupied Paris tomorrow.