Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,994
A meter and a half start a war!
It is 1961 - and in French-Algeria, the fighting between the French army and fighters for independence on the Algerian Liberation Front (FLN) is increasing...:
In neighboring Tunisia, too, a large share of the fate of the Algerian "brothers" is taken.
The anger of the Tunisians - the people as well as the government - is directed against the large French military base in the Tunisian town of Bizerta, which is 150 kilometers from the Algerian border...:
After Tunisia became a French "protectorate" (a glossing over term for "colony") in 1881, a huge French naval base was established here in 1882, which played an important role in both world wars. An air force base was added after the war.
When Tunisia became independent of France in 1956, the French simply kept the Bizerta base occupied!
They are now using the air force base in particular to load bombers and to carry out air strikes against the FLN fighters in neighboring Algeria.
The whole thing is of course completely illegal and contradicts the contractual agreements that France entered into with Tunisia's independence - apart from the fact that the French use the base to carry out acts of war from Tunisian soil in the neighboring country, which is also contrary to international law!
The Tunisian government under President Hagib Bourgiba...
... had asked France to return Bizertas several times since 1956 - the French government under President Charles de Gaulle deliberately delays the negotiations - if they respond to Tunisian demarches at all.
In the summer of 1961 the French went to the runway of the air base - without any consultations with the Tunisians! - to be extended so that larger and heavier (bomb-laden) aircraft can take off towards Algeria.
In doing so, they build the runway exactly 1.50 meters too long - thereby violating Tunisian territory beyond the borders of the Bizerta base!
With this violation of their country by 1.5 meters, the Tunisian side is now given the Casus Belli!
Paramilitary Tunisian troops block on 19th July 1961 the base...:
**continued next post**
It is 1961 - and in French-Algeria, the fighting between the French army and fighters for independence on the Algerian Liberation Front (FLN) is increasing...:
In neighboring Tunisia, too, a large share of the fate of the Algerian "brothers" is taken.
The anger of the Tunisians - the people as well as the government - is directed against the large French military base in the Tunisian town of Bizerta, which is 150 kilometers from the Algerian border...:
After Tunisia became a French "protectorate" (a glossing over term for "colony") in 1881, a huge French naval base was established here in 1882, which played an important role in both world wars. An air force base was added after the war.
When Tunisia became independent of France in 1956, the French simply kept the Bizerta base occupied!
They are now using the air force base in particular to load bombers and to carry out air strikes against the FLN fighters in neighboring Algeria.
The whole thing is of course completely illegal and contradicts the contractual agreements that France entered into with Tunisia's independence - apart from the fact that the French use the base to carry out acts of war from Tunisian soil in the neighboring country, which is also contrary to international law!
The Tunisian government under President Hagib Bourgiba...
... had asked France to return Bizertas several times since 1956 - the French government under President Charles de Gaulle deliberately delays the negotiations - if they respond to Tunisian demarches at all.
In the summer of 1961 the French went to the runway of the air base - without any consultations with the Tunisians! - to be extended so that larger and heavier (bomb-laden) aircraft can take off towards Algeria.
In doing so, they build the runway exactly 1.50 meters too long - thereby violating Tunisian territory beyond the borders of the Bizerta base!
With this violation of their country by 1.5 meters, the Tunisian side is now given the Casus Belli!
Paramilitary Tunisian troops block on 19th July 1961 the base...:
**continued next post**
