Another 200 French soldiers to leave Afghanistan

France will pull out a further 200 soldiers from Afghanistan by the end of the year, the president's office said on Monday, on top of the 200 that returned home at the end of October under a gradual handover by foreign troops. President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement that the handover to Afghan forces in Kabul and the region of Surobi, east of the capital, would allow the 200 further French troops to come home.
Sarkozy also said France would shortly sign a treaty with Afghanistan to reinforce civil aid and reconstruction efforts.