France's Hollande defends decision to pull out of Afghanistan earlier | WPN World People News

Newly elected French President Franois Hollande paid a surprise visit to Kabul Friday to meet his troops fighting in Afghanistan to tell them that their mission is over in the war-torn country.

The visit follows French decision to withdraw its combat troops from Afghanistan by the year end.

At Nijrab base in the northeastern province of Kapisa, Hollande defended the decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan two years before the rest of the NATO contingent withdraws.

"It's a sovereign decision. Only France can decide what France does. It will be conducted in good understanding with our allies, especially (US) President (Barack) Obama, who understands the reasons, and in close consultation with Afghan authorities," Hollande said.

"Without having totally disappeared, the terrorist threat from Afghanistan to our and our allies' territory has been partially curbed."

This was Hollande's first trip to Afghanistan after taking over as the French president earlier this month. He also held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Hollande was accompanied by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

NATO nations are trying to figure out how to meet a 2014 deadline to withdraw from an unpopular war in Afghanistan while shoring up that nation's security forces.

France provides the fifth largest contingent of the 130,000-strong US-led Nato forces. At least 83 French soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the war.

Hollande also "paid tribute to the 83 French soldiers killed carrying out their mission".

Source: France News.Net