When I landed at Kabul International Airport in early July 2003, I witnessed a conversation between two NATO officers. Speaking to one another in English, a German officer & a French officer were discussing a security issue regarding the airfield. After this brief interaction was over, the French officer walked away.
The German officer (still speaking in English) then turned to a Dutch soldier and said quite clearly, "the French never listen."
OBSERVATION: There may be those who believe this blogger wrote this post because I harbor some negative feelings towards the French. Granted, political relations between our two nations have seen much better days. However, while I am an American, the story goes much deeper than it first appears.
You see, my father was born in France (now an American citizen).
Think about it...
How do fathers & sons talk to one another?
I've spent the last 40-plus years trying to figure out my dad.
Need I say more?
...perspective...
Photos taken by Peter Rimar in Kabul, Afghanistan (July 2003).