Hey Mr. Snowden, ‘LEGIO PATRIA NOSTRA.’

 The commandant of my unit in the French Foreign Legion was a Russian. I don't know if he obtained his French citizenship through service in the Legion or otherwise. One day I met some Russian military officers who were following my unit through training; the 1er Regiment Etrangere du Cavalrie; 2em Escadron; 1er Pelaton, (and I probably spelled much of that wrong, but give me a break—will ya?)

 They say that all the officers in La Legion must now be Frenchmen on account of what happened in Algiers, but there are exceptions. They say there are no women in La Legion Etrangere, but that's not true either. I saw one working at my regiment's headquarters. Then again, maybe she was regular French Army—"Armee de Terre" is how they called it in French. I could be wrong on the spelling. It's been a long time.

I only bring up that memory to point out that the French and the Russians are closer than some might think which makes perfect sense when one considers the proximity of Socialism and Communism on the sliding scale of political ideology. Yeah, yeah, I know: the Russians aren't communists anymore. Right…, sure Comrade. And Michael Jackson wasn't a pedophile.
I wonder now if Mr. Snowden might not wind up with a new identification in Aubagne, just outside of Marseilles, at the headquarters of the French Foreign Legion.

 He's young enough to pass the training. Surely it has occurred to the Russians who have plenty of friendly contacts dans La Legion. 

I passed all the training to wear the Kepi Blanc and be stationed in a regiment of the Legion at the age of 40. I literally joined on the last day that a man is eligible: my fortieth birthday, and was by far the oldest Engage Volontaire or recruit who had made it through the training in many years. So I was told.

It actually would not be a bad move for Snowden at this point to become a Leggionaire. He would receive indescribable physical training and could get an assignment working in military intelligence. (I hear you laughing!) Now wouldn't that be ironic: Snowden working in military intelligence?

The Legion no longer takes murderers, but it wasn't so long ago that it did. There were still Legionnaires who had enlisted while on the run from having committed murder when I served in 2002. I met a former member of the Irish Republican Army, a terrorist, who had been involved in bombings, and a Legionnaire who had killed his girlfriend's father when he was young and escaped capture to join the French Foreign Legion. I trained with more than a few Muslims, mostly from France, who openly shared that they were there for the military training to prepare to go wherever the pan-Islamic jihad should call them to go in order to die for their Allah. One of them named Moutahdi pulled a blade on me in the bathroom in our barracks. He didn't much like Americans. I had to write up a report on the incident.

The author, Legionnaire du 1er Classe James Foster. Orange, France 2002

They will still let a person join who has, for example, committed a financial crime or fraud; just no murderers, rapists or pedophiles, though I always thought that being a Muslim should have disqualified anyone from joining.

 In fact, Mr. Snowden is the perfect age to join. The first thing done when one joins is to take away their passport and then give the new recruit a new identity. My new Legion name was James Foster. I deserted, but that's another story.

 After the first 5 years of service a Legionnaire is awarded French citizenship; that's why a lot of people join—to get the French citizenship so that they can legally come to the West to find work.

 I'm thinking outside the box here, but actually I do think it would be a good move for Snowden to serve an enlistment in La Legion Etrangere. And what 'Putan' else can he do now? (I never really learned the dictionary meaning of that word, but it is quite normal for a Legionnaire to use it at least one time in every sentence so I suspect it is a vulgarity. Hah!)

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