French Troops to Help U.S. in Afghanistan

EVIAN, France - In a sign of reconciliation, French President Jacques Chirac told President Bush on Monday that he will send French special forces to operate alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan "This decision taken by France corresponds both to a wish from the United States and a wish from our country to take part in the stabilization of Afghanistan, so it's a shared interest," said Chirac spokeswoman Catherine Colonna.
She would not say how many special forces would be sent.
The new troops will be separate from several hundred French soldiers already in Afghanistan. Those troops are part of an international force operating in the war-torn country or are working as advisers training Afghan soldiers.
The decision comes as Chirac and Bush are working to put aside their feud over the war in Iraq. They met Monday on the sidelines of a summit of the powerful Group of Eight nations in Evian, France.
Chirac riled the U.S. leader and many Americans by strongly opposing the military campaign that ousted Saddam Hussein