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| France's Defense Minister Hints French Presence in Afghanistan |
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MON, OCT 08, 2001
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French Defense Minister Alain Richard hinted Monday that there might be French military personnel in Afghanistan now, without explaining their role and nature.
When asked about current presence of French specialized commandos or information agents in Afghanistan during an interview with French radio France Inter, the minister answered, "You can imagine."
France has contributed to defining the targets of American air strikes in Afghanistan also "with the means that you can imagine," Richard said.
"The satellites will not tell everything. Other means of locating are needed," he added.
On the issue of consultation with parliament on whether France should join U.S. action or not, the defense minister said that a vote of the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) is not needed.
The French minister also said he opposes making the opposition Northern Alliance as the political alternative of Afghanistan, emphasizing that a rally of diverse forces, instead of one of all forces, is needed to rebuild Afghanistan.
"Choose one of the protagonists, for example the Northern Alliance, is to take the risk of re-feeding the bases of a civil war," he said.
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