Paris- France will deploy aditional military equipment to Afghanistan as well as about 100 more soldiers to service it, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Monday ahead of a parliamentary debate of the country's presence in the country.
The materiel will include helicopters, drones, surveillance equipment and mortars, Fillon told a special session of Parliament, convened to debate and vote on the presence of French military forces in Afghanistan.
Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday left Kabul for New York to attend the opening of the 63rd UN General Assembly and meet world leaders including US President George W Bush.
On Wednesday, Karzai is scheduled to address session to inform about the progress his country has made against terrorism, the presidential palace said in a statement.
Kabul - The Afghan defence ministry and NATO accused Taliban militants of failing to observe UN-backed Peace Day as two government soldiers were killed and a district governor wounded in rebel attacks, officials said Monday.
The army, NATO commanders and Taliban leaders pledged Saturday to refrain from offensive operations and remain in self-defence positions to respect the September
21 international peace day.
Paris - Both houses of the French Parliament will convene in special sessions Monday to debate and vote on the presence of French military forces in Afghanistan.
The vote comes amidst a controversy provoked by the death of 10 French soldiers on August 18 in a firefight with Taliban rebels east of the Afghan capital Kabul.
The publication of a "classified NATO report" in the Canadian daily Globe and Mail Saturday, alleging that the soldiers had been badly equipped, further heated the debate.
According to the putative report, the French soldiers ran out of ammunition after 90 minutes of fighting and had only one radio in their possession, which ceased functioning shortly after the fighting began.
Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai "strongly condemned" the bombing of a hotel in neighbouring Pakistan and called for serious fight against terrorism.
Karzai "strongly condemned the massive explosion which hit the Marriot Hotel in Federal Capital of Pakistan killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more," the presidential palace said in a statement.
Paris- France will deploy aditional military equipment to Afghanistan as well as about 100 more soldiers to service it, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Monday ahead of a parliamentary debate of the country's presence in the country.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday left Kabul for New York to attend the opening of the 63rd UN General Assembly and meet world leaders including US President George W Bush.
Kabul - The Afghan defence ministry and NATO accused Taliban militants of failing to observe UN-backed Peace Day as two government soldiers were killed and a district governor wounded in rebel attacks, officials said Monday.
Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai "strongly condemned" the bombing of a hotel in neighbouring Pakistan and called for serious fight against terrorism.
