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France, Karzai urge NATO Afghanistan exit
FRANCE and Afghanistan will ask NATO to hand over all combat missions to the Afghan military in 2013, a year earlier than planned, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.It signalled a sharp break by France, the fourth-largest troop contributor in Afghanistan, from its previous plans to adhere to the US goal of withdrawing combat forces by the end of 2014. The proposal was made a week after four unarmed French troops were killed by an Afghan soldier described as a Taliban infiltrator. Mr Sarkozy, who made the announcement during a visit by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said France has informed President Barack Obama of the plan, and will present it at a February 2-3 meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. Mr Sarkozy said he was planning a phone call with Mr Obama on the matter today. The effort comes at a time of widespread fatigue among European contributors to the 10-year allied intervention in Afghanistan, and would accelerate a gradual drawdown of NATO troops that Mr Obama has planned to see through until the end of 2014. Posted by: tipper 2012-01-27 |
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