France will remain as it will in Afghanistan , says Sarkozy
The left now but also some leaders of the majority , including former Prime Minister Jean – Pierre Raffarin , are demanding a timetable for withdrawal of some 3,500 French soldiers deployed in Afghanistan , citing military and diplomatic stalemate .
“France will remain engaged in Afghanistan , with its allies , as long as necessary and as long as the wish of the Afghan people , ” they replied indirectly Nicolas Sarkozy during a speech to the annual conference of ambassadors meeting in Paris .
“The current fashion among commentators is to catastrophism , ” he noted . “Every day we announced the return of the Taliban , as if the game was , as if we abandon the Afghan people “.
” We have realistic political objectives (…), it is a gradual and orderly transition , “said Nicolas Sarkozy. The action of France “at the service of peace must not, I think he be subject to artificial timetables or moods media , ” he said.
On Monday, two French soldiers were killed in Kapisa province , bringing to 47 the number of French killed in Afghanistan since the start of the Allied intervention in 2001.
” The human cost was heavy , ” admitted Nicolas Sarkozy before the ambassadors of France met in the Elysee. ” But imagine what would happen if we were not there ? Let us remember that the Taliban have in the past and thousands of Afghan victims they continue to do, ” he added .
DEBATE IN FRANCE AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES
The announcement of these two new military deaths reignited the debate about the commitment of France.
Jean- Pierre Raffarin, ” a form of deadlock emerges ” in Afghanistan where the war is ” bloody terrible ” .
France should withdraw ” 2012 , ” pleaded the former Prime Minister Jacques Chirac on Tuesday RMC .
After voting against sending troops to Afghanistan , the Socialist Party has called for a gradual withdrawal of the French contingent and an international conference involving all the countries of the region.
On Tuesday, the former first secretary of the PS , François Hollande has called for a review of French before the end of 2010 , redefining the mission of the allies in Afghanistan and a specific timetable for withdrawal .
” The U.S. are on track in Iraq , for its part, argues the former candidate Segolene Royal to the Elysee . “I think it is now time to negotiate a timetable for withdrawal, of course, in partnership with the powers of this part of the world , ” she said.
The debate also stirs other countries .
The Netherlands began on 1 August to withdraw their military contingent of 2,000 troops of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf ) , which operates under NATO command , after losing 24 soldiers .
After the departure of the Dutch, ISAF will have 150,000 troops from 45 countries. Canada will withdraw next year ‘s 3,000.
The United States also want to start in 2011 the withdrawal of their 100,000 troops .
Germany, which has 4,400 soldiers on the ground , is also beginning its withdrawal next year .
According to the website www.icasualties.org , 1979 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan since foreign intervention in late 2001 , decided after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States .
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