France upends NATO's exit strategy in Afghanistan

[FarCenter]

France's decision to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan a year earlier than planned deals a blow to the US-led war effort and threatens to trigger a "rush to the exits" by other NATO members, experts said Monday.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's surprise announcement to pull out his country's forces in 2013 "upends a well-planned, well laid-out NATO strategy of transition in Afghanistan going through 2014," said Damon Wilson, executive vice president of the Atlantic Council and former White House official.

At a meeting of defense ministers this week in Brussels, an anxious United States will be engaging in a round of "damage control" to shore up the alliance's agreed upon timeline, Wilson told reporters.

"You're going to look for the US trying to have as many defense ministers to their press conferences, restating their commitment to the NATO strategy" for a 2014 withdrawal, he told an event organized by the Atlantic Council think tank.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120131-france-upends-natos-exit-strategy-afghanistan

But in the French elections in May, Sarkozy is likely to lose. Hollande has said he will pull the troops out immediately.

[David__77]

1. Well there's one wise decision for the little scumbag.

He will be remembered with hatred by the French people, but at least he's making a good decision to flee from occupation of Afghanistan.