No more US unilateralism in Afghanistan: French envoy
March 5th, 2009 - 12:17 am ICT by IANS
Paris, March 4 (DPA) The new French special envoy to Afghanistan, Pierre Lellouche, said in an interview published Wednesday that NATO allies fighting on Afghan soil must not revert to the unilateral approach taken by former US president George W. Bush.
“It is normal that we act as co-pilots in the international strategy in Afghanistan,” Lellouche told the daily Le Monde. “We must not again fall into the American unilateral excesses of the Bush administration, which provoked a deep gulf between the United States and its NATO allies.”
Lellouche said Paris would “test” the dialogue proposed by President Barack Obama.
“Let us hope that it works. The stakes are too great,” he said, and added: “We will not stay in Afghanistan indefinitely.”
French officials have repeatedly declared that they had no intention of deploying more soldiers to Afghanistan. France currently has some 3,300 troops there, including military instructors.
However, Obama has said he intends to increase the US troop strength in Afghanistan, and has frequently asked NATO members to provide more soldiers as well.
Lellouche said that the conflict in Afghanistan was a war, and not an “international police operation”, as French Defence Minister Herve Morin described it last autumn.
“The proof is that France spends nearly 200 million euros ($250 million) a year on its army in that country,” while spending only 11 million euros on civilian aid, he said.
- French soldier accidentally shot dead in Afghanistan - Jul 11, 2011
- Top French official visits Libya for trade ties - Dec 21, 2011
- France suspends operations in Afghanistan after Afghan soldier kills 4 troops - Jan 21, 2012
- 73 French soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 - Aug 12, 2011
- French soldier killed in Afghanistan - Nov 15, 2011
- France appoints special envoy for Pakistan, Afghanistan - Jul 18, 2009
- France to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2013 - Jan 28, 2012
- US, France clash over an arms sale to Russia - Feb 08, 2010
- France halts military training in Afghanistan - Jan 21, 2012
- French Defence Minister says no new troops in Afghanistan - Dec 19, 2008
- NATO soldier killed in Afghan attack - Jan 22, 2012
- France has not integrated its minorities, WikiLeaks quotes US cables as saying - Dec 02, 2010
- UK slams Obama's 'France is America's biggest ally' comments - Jan 12, 2011
- Kidnapped French journalists released in Afghanistan - Jun 30, 2011
- Zardari says NATO forces losing war against Taliban - Aug 03, 2010
Tags: barack obama, defence minister, french defence, french envoy, french officials, george w bush, herve morin, international police, international strategy, last autumn, military instructors, minister herve, nato allies, nato members, paris march, pierre lellouche, police operation, president george w bush, troop strength, unilateral approach
