Why there will be French soldiers in Afghanistan after 2012

"I consider that the mission is completed" asserted Francois Hollande 2 May by announcing that he should "not take any risk to our troops' to withdraw the 3,400 French troops still present in Afghanistand'iciàlafinde2012. With either a year ahead of schedule announced in January byPresident Sarkozy and even two years ahead of the one originally set by NATO. But this promise-reiterated yesterday before Obama White House-is likely to face the reality principle. For it will certainly French soldiers in Afghanistan after 2012.Pour three reasons. The France signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation. Signed on January 27 by President Karzai at the Elysee Palace, the treaty will run in twenty years and has a "military component" with the continued training of Afghan security forces, the national army as the police. Several hundred military should therefore remain in place to ensure the long term this training and monitoring. President Holland has also assured his U.S. counterpart that "there would always be a support to Afghanistan in another form." Retrieve the material will necessarily take time. Evacuate 3400 our soldiers should not require a Airbus dozen rotations Paris-Kabul. But this is material that poses a problem. "Time logistics is not political time," says one to the staff of the armies, listing all materials that will bring much of Afghanistan: 900 vehicles (including 500 tanks), 1400 containers, 3 and 14 Mirage 2000 helicopteres. Techniquement, this withdrawal will take time and be costly. Especially since France does not have cargo planes and will probably rent to € 35 000 per flight hour. France could also face congestion at airports Kabul and Bagram transit of the 23,000 U.S. troops to leave the country by the end of September. The impossible distinction between combat forces and noncombatant. " a theater of war where there is no front, there is not really back and all our forces are destined to fight or, at least, to defend themselves by arms, "said an officer who previously served in Afghanistan. Want to distinguish between combatant forces, which would all be removed by the end of the year, and the other is an illusion. Because it will take many armed soldiers to secure the withdrawal to the end of our men and their war material - all observers agree to recognize-will not be completed by the end of the years.