French Navy captures more Pirates

The French took a break from surrendering and/or hiding in Texas and captured some pirates:

http://www.defense.gouv.fr/ema/oper.../golfe_d_aden_le_floreal_intercepte_9_pirates


(view from the small helicopter they few off their light
Frigate)...oh for some ideological spin: Rushlimbaugh hates the French and yet here they are saving mankind and getting no thanks for it...

donroc said:

1st naval victory since Yorktown in 1781 -- or one off India before 1800?.

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Oh how soon we forget. The Vichy French obliterated the Royal Thai Navy at Koh Chang on January 17, 1941.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Koh_Chang

Bartholomew said:

I'm sorry, why is it acceptable to bash France, again?

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Because it is incredibly annoying and utterly pointless?

Basically, surrendering to the Nazis while the US did relatively little is the only gripe the average US dude has against the French, but apparently it serves for all purposes. The fact that the French fought on both sides of WWII (like the Italians and the Finns) suggests to me the French have had a lot of guts for a long time, but there's no getting around surrendering in 1940 it seems.

Joe270 said:

Hey, you're raining on the only military victory by the French in WWII. So what if it was a victory for the wrong side.

If we discount that victory, then we have to go back to WWI for a decisive French victory, like Verdun. . .uh, okay, that doesn't work.

We can go back to Waterloo. . .oh, no we can't.

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No glory for Finnland either?

Joe270 said:

Really? Saving mankind by capturing a couple pirates? Really?

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If the good old USA had captured some pirates you can bet we would hear all about how hard we work to save mankind and how everybody hates us anyway...boohoo.

SC Harrison said:

Higgins, that's an AA-52 machine gun, which has (supposedly) been taken out of service for French naval helicopters. It's still widely used by Legionnaires, though, so I'd be willing to bet good money the French Navy used mercenaries for this operation.

But it's still a victory they can claim, even if it was outsourced.

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I thought the MG was interesting since the Panther helicopter is listed as unarmed. I doubt any mercanaries are being used by the French Navy since this is totally routine stuff. Mercenaries have been working with the pirates though, so the stories go.