Cheese eating surrender monkeys aid USAF in Afghanistan

In Hidden hands at work in Andijan revolt ? Sunday July 31st, we passed on diplomatic gossip that ....

“As well as US air Force personnel and planes, 200 French Air Force personnel and 2 transport aircraft are also based at Dushanbe airport in support of International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan.”

Now Reuters report “"Six Mirage fighters have been deployed in (the Tajik capital) Dushanbe,"

Major Frederic Lemoine, deputy French military attache to Central Asian neighbour Kyrgyzstan, told reporters at U.S.-led air base Ganci near the capital Bishkek “that Six Mirage fighters have been deployed in Dushanbe,"

Two large-body Boeing C-135 FR refuelling planes (“ravitaillement en vol “ in service since 1980 – see pic ) left their base at Istres and landed at Ganci and Lemoine explained that .."These refuelling jets are due to support the Mirage fighters in Tajikistan."

It was pointed out that the French operations were in line with a U.N. Security Council decision to improve security during the Afghan election. The Mirage jets are planned to fly on their first combat missions this Saturday. Probably these are The E.R.S 01/091 " Gascogne " (reconnaissance strategique) which use the Mirage IVP to carry out collection of the information of general interest necessary to the prevention and the management of crises.

For 3 weeks in November 2004 returning from Incirlik in Turkey 3 Mirage F1CR precision strike aircraft (see pic)and a Boeing C135 FR stopped at Dushanbe.

Last October’ s Presidential elections in Afghanistan passed off largely without incident, the rising “insurgent violence” and the protection of thousands of parliamentary candidates is seen as posing a tougher security challenge.