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November 22, 2008 11:37:40 CST

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40 Years Later, France Returns to NATO

Posted Jun 17, 08 6:19 CDT in World 

(Newser) – More than four decades after France withdrew from NATO military command, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced today that his nation's military will once again integrate itself with American and European forces. France's first new national defense policy in 14 years constitutes a major shift away from earlier Gaullist ideals of self-sufficiency, the New York Times reports.

Sarkozy's plan cuts the French military personnel by about 54,000—a substantial reduction designed to create a leaner army with better intelligence and modern equipment. The French military will concentrate less on unilateral actions, for example in former French colonies in Africa, and more on joint operations with NATO and the EU. "We see the trans-Atlantic relationship as a key to European security and French security," said one defense official.

Source New York Times

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy, second right, participates in the North Atlantic Council Summit meeting at the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania Thursday, April 3, 2008.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer gestures while speaking during a media conference after a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday June 13, 2008.   (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
George Bush looks at French President Nicolas Sarkozy answering a reporter's question during a press conference following their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Saturday, June 14, 2008.   (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, gestures during a joint news conference with U.S. President George W. Bush at Elysee Palace on Saturday, June 14, 2008.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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