Reminds me of France’s refusal when we bombed Libya years ago. But they sure allowed over flights during WW2!
Yes. The French made us fly around their country on our way to Libya, thereby increasing flight times by several hours.
If I recall correctly, the French embassy in Tripoli was accidentally bombed during that attack.
According to some, President Reagan provided the following explanation when asked why it had happened: “Well, the boys were tired...”