French pulls troops from Afghanistan - No sign of Osama hiding in his cave

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2006/12/20/french_pulls_troops_from_afghanistan/

PARIS --As violence mounts in Afghanistan, France is pulling 200 of its best soldiers out. But military officials here insist France remains fully committed, with 1,100 troops still based in Kabul.

Nevertheless, France's decision to withdraw its Special Forces comes amid concerns in Paris that NATO's mission in Afghanistan has grown confused and that the alliance may be overreaching in its efforts to stabilize and rebuild the nation.

French officials and experts say that as fighting in Afghanistan has dragged on and the insurgency has grown in strength, the special forces were no longer ideal for the mission. Such elite units tend to be more lightly armed, and specialize in gathering intelligence or rapid attacks.

"The conditions no longer correspond to what the special forces do," said Capt. Christophe Prazuck, a spokesman for the French Joint Chiefs of Staff.