Up To Date france

French officials will join forces with Haitian authorities to oversee the adoptions of children orphaned by the recent earthquake.

The news comes following the arrest of US missionaries attempting to take children out of the country.

The group, claimed it was their intention to start an orphanage in the neighbouring  Dominican Republic to cater for the children.

But officials in Haiti say the group, who were travelling with 33 children 20 of whom  have since been discovered to have living parents, acted Illegally and have branded them abductors.

The group, from Idaho, appeared before a court on Thursday and claimed they had not intended any harm by their actions.

They will be held for up to three months while a Haitian judge decides whether or not they should face trial.

And now French ambassador for international adoption, Jean Paul Monchau, has travelled to the crisis-struck country to help advise on adoption policy going forward.

Mr Monchau will work with Haitian officials to put in place processes that are hoped will expedite the checking procedure allowing necessary adoptions to go ahead.

The existing adoption process is being held up by the destruction of a number of family records, and French officials are expected to advise on procedure to account for these losses and ensure the protection of children leaving the country.

Around 330 Haitian orphans have already been taken in by French families and 800 by the US.

France has hit back at criticism of its decision to send only 80 extra military trainers to Afghanistan after America called for all countries to send reinforcements to help support the war effort.

The decision, which was announced at last week’s meeting of defence ministers from NATO member states, had drawn derision from some who felt it fell short of the current critical demands in the region.

But defence minister Hervé Morin rounded on his critics following meetings with his US counterpart Robert Gates defending the decision to send so few extra personnel and highlighting France’s ongoing commitment to the conflict, which has seen them consistently increasing troop numbers in the country since the summer of 2008

He told reporters: “We have made an enormous effort since July 2008,” and went on to details France’s own decision to increase troop numbers in the region before President Obama’s administration issued their call to arms.

The US has committed to sending a further 30,000 service people the war zone, but France near neighbours Germany have committed only a extra 850.

US defence minister Robert Gates spoke out in support of his international colleague saying the French presence should be looked at in context.

He said it was “important to maintain some perspective” and added: “Since this conflict began, thousands of French troops have served courageously alongside American forces and other members of the coalition, and many have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

The French president has reaffirmed his commitment to his country’s military presence in Afghanistan.

Speaking on Friday (January 8^th) President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters that he believed that withdrawing troops from the troubled country now would be counter- productive.

The statement came during a visit to the 3^rd marine infantry regiment in Brittany, where President Sarkozy met with families bereaved by the conflict in Afghanistan.

The Vanne based unit, which lost five men during a tour of Afghanistan last year, heard of President’s Sarkozys continued commitment to the conflict that has claimed 36 French lives so far.

Sarkozy confirmed that he had no intention of pulling out the 3,500 French service personal currently serving in Afghanistan saying: “”We should continue to help Afghans until they are in a position to assure their own security and development.”

He added: “”When circumstances so require, it is my duty as commander in chief to maintain our soldiers in their posts, as is the case in Afghanistan today, where the conditions for a withdrawal have not been met.”

The president went on to outline plans for reducing France’s military commitments elsewhere in the world, saying he hoped to be able to bring home troops currently deployed in Kosovo and the Ivory Coast, a process that has already begun with an international force reorganisation leading to a reduction of troop numbers in Kosovo from 1,300 to 800.

However, President Sarkozy reiterated the importance of his country’s continued in NATO, whose integrated military command they rejoined last year after an absence of 40 years.

France might increase the number of their deployed troops in Afghanistan in support of their cause to fight against the Talibans and the al-Qaida associates according to a statement given by the Prime Minister.

Francois Fillon said that NATO and its member states should do everything to stop Afghanistan from moulding and harbouring terrorists. According to him, Afghanistan is rapidly becoming the nucleus of global terrorism. Fillon made this statement amidst local opposition by the French.

The planned number of troops to be sent to Afghanistan was estimated by the French official to be about a hundred. The transparency of the total number of deployment in a foreign land was benchmarked by Fillon upon his issuance of the said statement. He defended the increase of troops by saying that Afghanistan does play a huge part in global security and the people’s freedoms. The Prime Minister did not mention anything about the nature or type of additional forces France would be sending; however, he mentioned that the current French forces deployed in Afghanistan can collaborate with the army in Afghanistan regarding command operations, reconstruction and security efforts.

France’s President said that France would amplify their forces beyond the current 2,200 count, but no figure of any sort came from him about the estimation of the additional troops. Fillon said that Sarkozy has not made any final decisions yet on the increase of troops. Sarkozy already sent a letter to their fellow NATO member states, stating the French condition of wanting to have a bigger role in the issue.

France will send soldiers to Afghanistan as part of renewed oath of allegiance to NATO. France reassured NATO and European Union fellow its commitment to support fellow members with military relief and defense.

France will deploy troops to the dangerous east Afghanistan instead of south. France had declined United States request for military relief in the south. U.S. had wanted to eradicate Taliban and al Qaeda mutineers in the south. France insisted to assign its military personnel in the east.

The east area near Pakistan territory also had ferocious terrorism activities as with the south. France had history of pacifying revolts specifically in the south. However, France also managed to station 1,900 soldiers in central Kabul than in Helmand, Kandahar, and Uruzgan.

France remained secretive about their decisions and activities in east Afghanistan. France was reported to made decision as early in April at the Bucharest summit. France had intentions to take over the post in east to release U.S. armies in their plan to fight in the south. However, France remained implicit in communicating their plans.

Along with France, countries such as Spain, Germany, and Italy had continually deployed their soldiers in sheltered areas in Afghanistan. United States reiterated the need for cooperation among NATO members in the military operations in south Afganistan. Canada, Britain, and Poland expressed their support for the U.S. contention.

Canada asserted their demand for support in Kandahar. Canada will hold its military relief if NATO fail to comply with their request. President Nicolas Sarkozy had reported to keep up with the military reserves. He had sent airliners and trainers to aid operations in Afghan.