Mistral Malaise
David J. Smith, Georgian Daily | November 18, 2009
France and Russia are finalizing the sale of an amphibious assault ship, which should catch the attention of every NATO ally. ++ With a ship like the Mistral, Russia's August campaign against Georgia could have been accomplished in "40 minutes, not 26 hours." ++ Moscow's aim is not to challenge American naval dominance, rather to counter NATO's eastward enlargement. ++ This short-sighted diplomacy will backfire as Russia will certainly use its newest naval acquisition in an act of aggression, "thereby making France complicit."
