French Ride Forth to Check Islamic Aggresion

[KestrelBike]

Islamists taking hostages in Algeria in retribution for the French intervention in Mali: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21042659
Meanwhile, criminals, vagabonds and psychopaths - sorry, I mean the French Foreign Legion - are rolling out of Bamako: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21038856

Reportedly engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Islamists.

This whole thing has an eerie ring of history to it.

I know you jest, but the FFL really has the pick of the litter these days with the economy so they're not all terrible thugs.

[Pancho Villa]

I know you jest, but the FFL really has the pick of the litter these days with the economy so they're not all terrible thugs.

I know.

I still love the history of the thing, though. Like post-WWII where most of the FFL seemed to be ex-SS...

[ruthabagah]

I know.

I still love the history of the thing, though. Like post-WWII where most of the FFL seemed to be ex-SS...

When I trained with them in Guyana they were all former east german Stasi or Romanian securitat... Yeah, lot of blood on their hands.

[Pancho Villa]

When I trained with them in Guyana they were all former east german Stasi or Romanian securitat... Yeah, lot of blood on their hands.

That's a story you need to tell some time. I'd love to hear it over a beer.

[ruthabagah]

That's a story you need to tell some time. I'd love to hear it over a beer.

Will be happy to.

[KestrelBike]

I know.

I still love the history of the thing, though. Like post-WWII where most of the FFL seemed to be ex-SS...

I read somewhere that about 66% of the legionnaires who parachuted into the siege of Dien Bien Phu were all ex-wehrmacht/SS.

[ruthabagah]

I read somewhere that about 66% of the legionnaires who parachuted into the siege of Dien Bien Phu were all ex-wehrmacht/SS.

Yes for Wehrmacht, no for SS. After WW2, a lot of german POW were either asked, or forced (depending of ranks and assignment) to serve the french state for cleaning (Mine removal on the Atlantic wall...), and by 1948, volunteer where incorporated to the Legion. A lot of these men where former Afrika Corps soldiers. This explain why some of the legion's marching song includes german words....

SS are a different story: they were interned in france, then handed over to germany in the late 40'.