Jay Leno’s monologue, Monday July 10th: Congratulations to the Italian people for winning the World Cup. … They won after France’s best player got ejected for head butting. That’s the closest anyone in a French uniform has come to combat in 60 years.
For historical accuracy, we feel we need to point out the following:
- French Action in Afghanistan, about 4000 French military were involved in 2002.
- France takes part in ISAF (539 French troops maintain the security of the Kabul airport and its environs). Only the United States, France and the United Kingdom are providing officer training for the new Afghan army.
- French military participation is significant: in Macedonia (the EU’s Operation Concordia: 53 percent of troops); Bosnia-Herzegovina (10 percent of troops, the second-largest contribution after the United States); Kosovo (15 percent of the troops, the second-largest contribution, following Italy; United States number 8).
- Côte d’Ivoire: France deployed a continent of nearly 4,000 men, whose intervention saved American lives, in order to restore peace to that country and support African ECOWAS forces to which it, along with the United States, provides the greatest support.
- Liberia : France evacuated about 100 Americans from Liberia on June 8 and 9, 2003.
Source : French Embassy in Washington