"France is there because they have a bone to pick with the Christians".
Got to disagree with you there.
"apart from their belief that they still have some right to possession."
Your getting warmer. The French are there because of the same reasons the US and British are there. Imperialist carve up. They are all terrified of the implications of what the US is doing, but they are more terrified of missing out. When the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq it signaled a new colonialism had begun. They've been at it ever since with disastrous consequences.
