Afghans Blast French Pullout Plan

At least Sarkozy knows these guys can’t vote for him. Afghan lawmakers are attacking the French’s president’s proposal to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after four unarmed French soldiers were shot dead on Jan. 20. Facing a tough reelection fight at home, where the war is the only thing more unpopular than the president, Sarkozy announced a decision to withdraw in 2013, a year ahead of schedule. "Afghan forces are not self-sufficient yet. They still need more training, more equipment and they need to be stronger," said Abul Hadi Khalid, an Afghan military analyst. Tahira Mujadedi, an Afghan lawmaker, said there was “no logical reason” for the French pullout. "When military forces are present in a war zone, anything can happen," she said, adding that the fallen French soldiers were “not here for a holiday.”