French troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan.<br/> <br />Some 2,000 French soldiers are due to leave Afghanistan this year, ahead of the 2014 deadline for most NATO troops to leave the country.<br/> <br />This comes during the same week that Afghan forces were able to thwart a mass attack by insurgents.<br/> <br />But all is not well on the war front according to Russian president Vladimir Putin who said this week that NATO should stay to complete their job.<br/> <br />But on the ground NATO officials offer their assurances that the mission in Afghanistan is on target.<br/> <br />Brigadier General Gunter Katz in Kabul was made available to Reuters by the Pentagon.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English)BRIGADIER GENERAL GUNTER KATZ, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Our assessment is that the security situation is improving on track and we are able to handover security to the Afghan security forces and that our scheduled way is justified."<br/> <br />More than 3,100 foreign solders have died in Afghanistan since the war was launched in 2001.<br/> <br />Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
