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February 13th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda The humiliation occurred when the US military’s navy chiefs considered UK participation in the adventurist mission in the Persian Gulf region of little or no value, but they only relented after an intervention from French President Nicholas Sarkozy and allowed a Royal Navy frigate to join the mission, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The revelation raised new questions about Britain’s international clout after its coalition government enforced widespread cuts to the country’s defense budget to be able to provide for a record budget deficit since World War II.
Last month, the Royal Navy deployed HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate, to the Persian Gulf in a fresh US-led sabre-rattling against Iran. The ship accompanied a US carrier strike group made up of an aircraft carrier with a full complement of fighters, a heavy cruiser and several destroyers.
A French frigate, the La Motte-Picquet, was also part of the flotilla, which sailed through the Straits of Hormuz.
The disparity in vessel numbers means the British and French presence in the flotilla was of greater diplomatic than military significance.
The UK government initially signaled they would accept the Washington’s conclusion that did not need allies to take part.
But the British position changed after Sarkozy insisted to the US that a French warship must be present in the flotilla.
A diplomatic source revealed that US commanders originally planned for an all-American naval operation, and only relented after protests from European leaders.
“The Americans originally planned to do it alone. They were clear that they saw no military advantage in having European ships taking part”, the source said.
But after the President insisted that France had to be represented, ministers decided that “Britain must participate too, regardless of the military importance.”
A Whitehall confirmed the sequence of events and described the international negotiations over the flotilla as “humiliating” for Britain.
After the French intervention, the UK Government “was basically forced to plead with Washington for the Navy to be allowed to tag along,” said the source.
MOL/JR/HE
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