Latest update: 14/06/2012 

- Afghanistan - France - François Hollande - French military


François Hollande pays tribute to French soldiers killed in Afghanistan

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French President François Hollande led a funeral ceremony in Paris on Thursday for four soldiers killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan on June 9, repeating his promise of early troop withdrawal “in the coming weeks”.

By News Wires (text)
 

AP - President Francois Hollande has led a funeral ceremony for four French soldiers killed in Afghanistan just weeks before the start of an early troop withdrawal by France.

In the courtyard of the site of Napoleon’s grave, Hollande decorated on Thursday each of the coffins with a starred medal on a red ribbon, honoring the four posthumously as Knights of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award.

Hollande said an early pullout of French troops from Afghanistan, to begin “in the coming weeks,” is not without danger.

The four troops were killed in a suicide attack on June 9, bringing to 87 the number of French troops killed since 2001. Of the 3,400 troops in Afghanistan, 2000 will leave by year’s end. Those staying will help with training and logistics.
 

Date created : 14/06/2012 
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Francois Hollande pays respects to French troops

by Anonyme (not verified) - 14/06/2012 - 17:03

That Francois Hollande pays his respects to those French troops who have lost their lives in Afghanistan is to be commended. That he wishes to bring French troops home early after an agreement had been made by his predecessor that all ISAF troops would be out of that country by 2014 means that the risk of lives being loss is raised by his action. But, can someone explain to me that having decided to pull troops out of a UN backed action in one country that he wants to send French troops into another country - Syria?? It appears to me that the first withdrawal is more to raise his own profile and slap down anything that Sarkhozy had agreed.

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