French Parliament OKs return to NATO

PARIS, March 18 (UPI) -- France's Parliament has voted 329-238 in favor of rejoining the military wing of NATO.

The decision to return French forces to NATO comes more than 40 years after French Gen. Charles de Gaulle withdrew them over perceived United States dominance, Radio France Internationale reported Wednesday.

De Gaulle removed his armed forces from NATO's integrated military command in 1966 and asked all non-French NATO troops to leave France prompting the relocation of NATO headquarters to Belgium.

France had remained a member of the political arm of NATO.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon told Parliament that France would he an "ally but not the vassal" of the United States.

He had said his government would resign if the measure to return failed Tuesday.

The decision to fully rejoin NATO was announced by French President Nicholas Sarkozy last week.