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Global

France may send troops to Afghan combat zone


    PARIS (Reuters) - France may send hundreds of ground troops to eastern Afghanistan where NATO-led forces are fighting al Qaeda-backed insurgents, Le Monde newspaper reported on Tuesday.

    It said the move could be part of a new Afghan policy beingworked out by President Nicolas Sarkozy and his advisers.

    About 1,900 French soldiers are based in relatively calmKabul and Le Monde said the fresh troops would be deployedoutside the Afghan capital.

    "Their destination would be zones of potentially fiercefighting, preferably the eastern region of Afghanistan close tothe tribal areas of Pakistan," the newspaper said, giving nosource for its story.

    Early last year, France withdrew 200 special forcessoldiers who had been operating under U.S. command inAfghanistan. Le Monde said Paris was now expected to sanctionthe return of the special forces.

    A presidential spokesman declined to confirm or deny thenewspaper report. "The president has not made a decision. Weare in discussion with our partners, inside NATO but notexclusively," he said.

    Washington is heading a campaign for what it calls a fairersharing of the burden in the fight against Taliban insurgents.Britain, Canada, Poland and others have backed the UnitedStates.

    Sarkozy said in December that Paris could boost itspresence in Afghanistan but the presidential spokesman saidearlier this month that no decision had been reached.

    (Reporting by Andrew Dobbie; Editing by Robert Woodward)