France Will Withdraw From Afghanistan

It didn't take New French president Hollande long to change some important French policies. On the night of his election, he made sure that everyone knew that France would no longer go along with Germany in enforcing the failed economic policy of "austerity". Now only a week later, he has changed another French policy -- this time regarding Afghanistan.

The French president has just informed President Obama that France will withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. His predecessor, Sarkozy, had promised to keep the French troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2014 (when Obama says American troops will be withdrawn).

France is not as heavily invested in the occupation of Afghanistan as the United States is. They only have about 3,300 troops in that country. But the French withdrawal is significant nonetheless. The U.S. will have to take over the duties currently being performed by the French, and with another ally gone, it will make it more politically difficult for the United States to stay in Afghanistan for another two years (especially since a majority of Americans are now opposed to the war and want a sooner withdrawal).

U.S. sources are saying that the French president was just referring to combat troops, and might leave some "trainers" in the country. I'm not so sure he would do that -- or even could if he wanted to. In his campaign for the presidency, Hollande promised the French people to withdraw all of the troops.  Hollande told the president that France would "continue to support Afghanistan in a different way".

France is doing the right thing. Nothing more can be accomplished by the continued occupation of Afghanistan. It is time for the American government to realize that and end the whole mess by bringing ALL troops back home.