France considering increased Afghan role as NATO seeks more front-line troops

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
France is considering sending troops to join the fight against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan and is due to hold talks with a Canadian delegation Friday on Ottawa's appeal for 1,000 extra troops to support its beleaguered force in volatile Kandahar province. A reversal of France's refusal to deploy combat units to the southern front-lines would ease tensions in NATO where a rift has emerged between nations such as the United States, Canada and Britain who have troops in the south, and those like France, Germany and Italy whose units operates in the relative safety of north and west Afghanistan. "They were very receptive to our message," Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said of the French. "We want to talk in more detail about logistics, and that's exactly what's happening in Paris today."