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Sarkozy says French troops bo be out of Afghanistan by 2013
PARIS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared Thursday that French troops would complete withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2013.
Sarkozy made the remarks in an interview with a local television channel after the military parade on the Champs Elysees Avenue.
Following the traditional ceremony marking the celebration of France's National Day , Sarkozy, together with Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, Defense Minister Gerard Longuet and the French General Staff Edouard Guillaud will hold a security meeting on the safety of French troop deployed overseas.
France's National Day this year was overshadowed by the deaths of five French soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan the day before.
Sarkozy visited the Percy military hospital in the morning to meet with soldiers injured in Afghanistan.
"We are now faced with more actions of terrorist type, not just military action ... it is a new situation and facing this new situation, it needs new safety measures," Sarkozy said.
According to the French president, who is geared for the next presidential election in 2012, French army needs to be prepared to "new conditions" from now to its departure from Afghanistan.
Early this week, France has announced a schedule that a quarter of its 4000 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan would pull out by the end of 2012.
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French soldier killed in Afghan war
French soldier killed in Afghan war
Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:3PM
A French soldier has been killed in Afghanistan just one day after seven US-led foreign forces -- including five more French soldiers -- were killed.
President Nicolas Sarkozy's office has confirmed that a French Navy commando died in a militant attack in northeast of Kabul on Thursday morning.
The latest death brings the NATO death toll to well over 307 so far this year. France has lost at least 70 of its soldiers during the Afghan war.
According to official figures, more than 2,588 US-led soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.
Meanwhile, Sarkozy has held an emergency security meeting to discuss the safety of French combat troops leading up to their scheduled withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2014.
He reiterated that in agreement with NATO allies, responsibility for security in Afghanistan would be progressively passed on to Afghan forces.
Earlier in July, Sarkozy announced that France plans withdraw 1,000 of its 4,000 combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2012.
The security situation remains fragile in Afghanistan despite the presence of about 150,000 US-led foreign forces.
The increasing number of troop casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the US and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.
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