Rory, if you are operating under the assumption that the War in Iraq is truly "the frontline in the War on Terror", then your posting makes some sense. Because I don't feel that Iraq is that frontline, then I see the French and German position as being quite logical. War is at least a two way street. Remember, in the Spring of 1940, the French felt the Maginot line was their frontline. The Luftwaffe and the Panzer Divisions showed the fallacy. Just because GW has defined Iraq as the frontline does not make it so.