France's Socialists to pull out troops from Afghanistan by yearned

PanARMENIAN.Net - France's Socialists will pull all combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012, a year ahead of an accelerated withdrawal planned by the government, and has already discussed this with Britain and the United States, their chief defense adviser says, according to Reuters.

In an interview, Jean-Yves Le Drian, chief defense aide to Socialist presidential frontrunner Francois Hollande, also told Reuters France would press for a review of long-standing demands for a bigger say in the U.S.-led NATO alliance's integrated military command structure.

Le Drian, tipped as probable defense minister in a left-wing government, said Hollande believed French combat troops had no business in Afghanistan now and a pullout should be executed within eight months if he wins an election where the final runoff takes place on May 6.

Le Drian's comments came as President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is seeking re-election but expected to lose to Hollande, described the Socialists' end-2012 target for combat troop pullout as "totally irresponsible, and even dangerous".

After the killing of several French soldiers in Afghanistan by a rogue shooter, Sarkozy announced in January that he planned to accelerate a pullout of combat troops to 2013 from 2014.