The French Bow Out Of Syria Strike

I love imagining what Monty Python would do with this.

President Obama has lost another team mate on Syria. The French are following the Brits and bowing out of the Syria strike.

France's Socialist President François Hollande has decided that, non, La France is not going to punish Basher Assad as he said earlier.

Instead, he's now cautiously talking about the need for a 'political solution'.

"France will give all its aid - political, but also humanitarian and material, and we will use all the influence we have in the Gulf Arab countries so that this can be organized," Hollande told reporters.

In other words, no French military. Instead, he wants the Saudis and the Emirates to do it. Notably, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is still docked in Toulon, although a cruiser, the Chevalier Paul apparently sailed...although not necessarily towards Syria. That would tell me that even if there is any French involvement in Syria, it will consist of standing safely off shore and firing a few missiles and shells..if that.

Hollands reportedly met with the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, Ahmed Jarba before bowing out. The SNC, by the way has almost zero boots on the ground in Syria and are mainly based in Qatar.

"Assad's regime has complete support from Russia, Hezbollah and Iran. We have nothing. Our allies have given us none of what we have asked for. We need real support," Jarba complained to Le Parisien afterwards.

Ah, est-ce vrai, pauvre monsieur...Quel dommage!