Petraeus meets French generals as France shows reluctance on Afghanistan

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, met senior French officials Monday as Washington seeks more military might for Afghanistan but failed to come away with any offer from the French for more troops on the ground. Prior to Petraeus' visit, French Defense Minister Herve Morin had signaled that France was reluctant to commit more troops to Afghanistan and wanted greater efforts toward a political solution to achieve stability. Petraeus said that French troops had conducted operations in Afghanistan "superbly" and that the purpose of his visit to Paris had been to explain US strategy and not to ask for a new French military effort. "That wasn't part of the discussion," Petraeus said. However, the US has been actively seeking a larger commitment from NATO countries.