Faster than NATO, France ends Afghan combat role

November 21, 2012 by legitgov

Faster than NATO, France ends Afghan combat role 20 Nov 2012 France on Tuesday ended its combat operations in Afghanistan, pulling hundreds of troops from a base in a volatile region northeast of Kabul and fulfilling promises to end its combat role on a faster track than other NATO allies. After a handover ceremony with Afghan troops, 500 French combat soldiers in trucks and armored vehicles left the Nijrab base in the Kapisa region -- where anti-government insurgents have been active -- and traveled southwest to Kabul, the capital, said Col. Thierry Burkhard, a French military spokesman.