Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Karzai, Rasmussen Back French Troop Exit

Karzai, Rasmussen Back French Troop Exit

CHICAGO/ WASHINGTON - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday supported the decision of new French President Francois Hollande to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year.

"I think all allies and partners have appreciated that the newly elected President Hollande of France has made it clear that of course he will keep his election promises. So he will withdraw French combat troops from Afghanistan this year," Rasmussen told reporters at a Chicago news conference.

"At the same time he made clear that France stayed a member of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and will continue to contribute in different ways, and that includes a continued contribution to our training mission in Afghanistan," he said.

"That whole package is very much in the accordance with the strategy we outlined in Lisbon in 2010. We will gradually hand over lead responsibility to the Afghans, including in the Kapisa province, where the French soldiers operate,"
Rasmussen added.

Importantly, all allies and partners would stay committed to their mission throughout the transition period to the end of 2014 and the French president had confirmed that was also his position, he said.
Agreeing a NATO Strategic Plan for Afghanistan, the heads of state decided on a new mission that would focus on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces after they have assumed full security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014.

Rasmussen said: "Let me be clear: this will not be ISAF under a different name. It will be a new mission, with a new role for NATO."

The 50 nations that make up ISAF were joined by President Karzai, leaders from Russia, Japan, Pakistan, Central Asian states and key international community partners from the United Nations and the European Union.
The secretary general said NATO and its allies had reaffirmed a strong commitment to support the training, equipping, financing and capability development of Afghan forces in the years to come.

In an interview with CNN, President Karzai also supported France's decision. "We are not only ready for it, we support it. It's a good move." He explained Afghanistan had already worked out a plan to have 75 percent of the country's security under the control of Afghan forces within six months.

"We have already agreed on a process of transition to Afghan authority, whereby Afghanistan will be looking after itself, its security and defense of the country almost entirely by 2014.

"And that's also the time that the American forces and other forces will withdraw from Afghanistan. That transition and the eventual withdrawal in 2014 of US forces and other NATO forces from Afghanistan, is good for Afghanistan and good for our allied countries," he said. (Pajhwok)