France to withdraw 200 special forces from Afghanistan

France is to withdraw 200 members of its special forces in eastern Afghanistan within weeks, Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said today.

“There is a general reorganisation of our (troops),” she said during a visit to Afghanistan.

Her remarks were aired on France-Info radio. Among changes is a “withdrawal from Jalalabad in the coming weeks,” she said.

French troops have been in Afghanistan since July 2003 as part of the US “Enduring Freedom” operation.