By KUNA,
Paris : The French Parliament is to debate later Monday the conflict in Afghanistan and Frances role in the NATO deployment there.
France has close to 3,000 troops in the NATO/International Security and Assistance Force, and has recently reinforced its deployment by 700 men, who are expected to take an increasingly combat role against Taliban militants.
The debate was scheduled after 10 French soldiers were killed and 21 injured on August 19 in an ambush about 50 kilometres east of the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The opposition in the French Parliament wants a clarification and even a re-definition of the military role in the conflict and a better explanation on the goals of the NATO operation that is running into resilient opposition for the Taliban and suffering a greater number of casualties and attacks.
The French debate is also coming in the context of revelations in the past few days by a Canadian newspaper about the August 19 ambush and claims that a NATO report alleges the French troops were underequipped and did not have proper communications and sufficient ammunition.
This allegation was already raised by survivors of the ambush and certain elements in the French press after the attack just over a month ago. It was also alleged that several soldiers were captured and executed by the Taliban.
The army here denied the claims and the French Minister of Defence Herve Morin pleaded for people to stop spreading harmful rumours.
But Morin was forced to admit before the parliamentary debate that there was indeed a NATO document on the ambush, although he said it was a “written account” and not a “report.” The head of the army General Jean-Louis Georgelin, speaking on “BFM” television, denied there was any “secret report” by NATO but admitted there was “written account” of the operation.
“There were US Special Forces in the area and they did a written account,” he said.