France Wants To Boycott NATO Plan

The display of the French President, François Hollande and the NATO General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

France announced, earlier than agreed by the NATO mission in Afghanistan to bring back his soldiers. President hollande told at the NATO Summit, but the German Chancellor Merkel stood against President Hollande.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has warned of a race in the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan. "A print competition pours water to the mill of those who want to sow insecurity," he said on (the) Sunday before the start of the NATO Summit in Chicago. Should it happen that would weaken the fight against terrorism. "That is why everyone should be smart enough to see the essence of a common agreement to what has been discussed and voted."

In 2010, NATO had agreed to end their combat in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. France, however, wants to pull out from this plan. The French President, François Hollande announced to withdraw the French combat troops already by the end of the year from Afghanistan. German Chancellor Angela Merkel insists, however, on the compliance with the NATO decision: "we went together Afghanistan, and we want to withdraw together from Afghanistan," she said on the sidelines of the NATO Summit.

German Defense Minister Thomas de Mazière wants preservation of a NATO command structure in Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of NATO troops, said de Mazière in Chicago.

Also, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stressed that despite the announcement of a more rapid withdrawal of the French combat troops from Afghanistan there should be "no rush to the exit" in the NATO-led ISAF mission. From the Summit, the clear message will go out that NATO will continue as planned, he reiterated.

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg - Germany)

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