French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday that France will boost its military presence in Afghanistan, a move welcomed by his allies in Britain and the US.
Sarkozy put no figure on the number of extra troops for NATO's battle against Taliban insurgents -- details may be confirmed next week at a NATO summit in Bucharest -- but sources in Paris said it would be more than 1,000.
France has some 1,600 soldiers in the country, mainly in the relatively peaceful capital Kabul. It is unclear if the new French troops will deploy to the volatile south of the country, or other less dangerous areas.
The US, Canada and Britain have long pressed their European NATO allies to stump up more forces in Afghanistan to face down the threat of a Taliban spring offensive in the violence-scarred country.
"France has proposed to its allies in the Atlantic alliance a coherent and comprehensive strategy to allow the Afghan people and their legitimate government to build peace," Sarkozy said.
"If these proposals are accepted, France will propose at the Bucharest summit strengthening its military presence," he said in an address to both houses of Britain's parliament on the first day of a state visit.
Although widely expected, Sarkozy's announcement was warmly welcomed in London and Washington. US national security adviser Stephen Hadley said: "Obviously that would be a very positive thing."
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also welcomed Sarkozy's pledge.
"A stronger French contribution will be more than welcome," he said shortly after the address.
Sarkozy's offer was welcomed in yesterday morning's British press, with the Daily Telegraph writing that it "will have been music to the government's ears."
"Mr Sarkozy said the two countries were stronger when they stood with, rather than against, each other," the paper's editorial read.
Britain has some 7,800 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and has long pushed for other countries to do more, particularly in the south, where British troops in Helmand Province have suffered increasing casualties.
Sarkozy told British lawmakers that "together, our two countries are determined to remain committed, side-by-side with all our allies in Afghanistan, where a crucial phase is being played out."
He did not elaborate on his new strategy in his address, but speaking to the BBC before arriving in Britain, Sarkozy said it meant putting more faith in the Afghans themselves, as military action could only be part of the solution.
Asked if France was planning to send more troops to Afghanistan, he replied: "It is a long-term commitment ... If these conditions are fulfilled, why not go in with larger numbers?"
The April 2 to April 4 NATO meeting in Bucharest is expected to see pledges of more troops from other countries in answer to calls for more assistance from the allies battling a resurgent Taliban in the south and east.
The Taliban regime was ousted six years ago by a US-led invasion after it refused to give up Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born chief suspect for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the US.
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including
RSS