France decides to pull 200 of its top soldiers

The special forces have been in Afghanistan since 2003.
PARIS (AP) -- As violence mounts in Afghanistan, France is pulling out 200 of its best soldiers. But military officials here insist France remains fully committed, with 1,100 troops still based in Kabul.
Nevertheless, France's decision to withdraw its special forces comes amid concerns in Paris that NATO's mission in Afghanistan has grown confused and that the alliance may be overreaching in its efforts to stabilize and rebuild the nation.
French officials and experts say that as fighting in Afghanistan has dragged on and the insurgency has grown in strength, the special forces were no longer ideal for the mission. Such elite units tend to be more lightly armed and specialize in gathering intelligence or rapid attacks.
"The conditions no longer correspond to what the special forces do," said Capt. Christophe Prazuck, a spokesman for the French Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Anti-terror mission
The French elite troops -- deployed in southeastern Afghanistan since July 2003 -- were France's contribution to a U.S. anti-terror mission code-named Operation Enduring Freedom that is separate from the NATO mission.
Seven of the 10 French troops killed in Afghanistan since 2003 were special forces. The soldiers combed the border with Pakistan for al-Qaida and Taliban fighters and looked for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Long based in Spin Boldak, a southern border town in Kandahar, the French rebased this year to Jalalabad in the east and are now expected home in January.
Enduring Freedom has been trimmed as NATO's International Security Assistance Force has evolved. By October, the NATO force's 32,800 troops became the prime fighting force, moving into special forces' terrain in Taliban-infested southern and eastern regions.
U.S. commanders say the work of special forces soldiers is still critical in Afghanistan, whether it's small-group reconnaissance missions, mentoring Afghan soldiers or supporting conventional NATO and Afghan troops in combat.
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