France eyes sending troops to Afghan east

Such a move could get a mixed reaction from NATO alliessuch as the United States which want France and other Europeanallies to deploy troops in the south of the country, where thefight against Taliban and al Qaeda insurgents has beentoughest.

Canada sent officials to Paris this month to sound out apossible French offer of support for its 2,500 troops in southAfghanistan, but Le Monde said France had its sights elsewhere.

"Their (the troops') destination would be zones ofpotentially fierce fighting, preferably the eastern region ofAfghanistan close to the tribal areas of Pakistan," it said.

While the east is regarded as more dangerous than therelatively calm capital Kabul -- where most of France's 1,900troops under NATO command are based -- the fiercest battleshave been in southern provinces of Kandahar, Uruzgan andHelmand.

A presidential spokesman declined to confirm or deny thenewspaper report.

"The president has not made a decision. We are indiscussion with our partners, inside NATO but not exclusively,"he said.

An alliance source said the plan was one of a number ofoptions France was discussing with allies ahead of an Aprilsummit in Bucharest at which alliance leaders will look to givenew impetus to the security mission.

Under the plan, the deployment of French soldiers to theeast would free up U.S. forces there to go and help Canadiantroops fighting insurgents in the south.

"Our understanding is that there is no decision on this.There is a long way to go until Bucharest," said the source.

France, Germany, Italy and Spain have troops in relativelysecure areas and have refused to deploy them south.

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 U.S. demand.

In what would be a major blow to the 43,000-strong NATOmission, Canada has warned that it will not renew itsdeployment past 2009 unless other NATO allies come up with1,000 troops to support its operation in Kandahar.

Since his election in May, President Nicolas Sarkozy hassent more combat aircraft to Kandahar and beefed up Frenchefforts to train the Afghan army in what some analysts havesaid is a policy more closely aligned to that of the UnitedStates.

Early last year, France withdrew 200 special forcessoldiers who had been operating under U.S. command inAfghanistan, but Le Monde said Paris was now expected tosanction the return of the special forces. About 50 remained totrain Afghan commandos.

(Reporting by Andrew Dobbie in Paris and Mark John inBrussels; Editing by Ralph Boulton)