Juppé rules out early Afghanistan withdrawal

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé announced yesterday that France would not give in to “panic” and pull its troops out of Afghanistan this year after four French soldiers were killed last week. The four unarmed soldiers were killed at a base in eastern Afghanistan in an attack that left 15 other French troops wounded. Juppé was responding to a call from former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius for French troops to be brought home by the end of 2012, ahead of the 2014 deadline for all U.S.-led coalition combat troops. Juppé told reporters, “We must not give in to panic; we must not confuse an orderly withdrawal with a rushed withdrawal.”

The SDA hosted a debate on “Empowering Afghanistan: The elements of a “civilian surge,” in 2011 to see the full report click here.