France cannot help in south Afghanistan-minister

PARIS, Sep 21 (Reuters) France will not send troops to help NATO in southern Afghanistan because it has its hands full in Kabul, Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said today.

NATO's top commander of operations, James Jones, has requested up to 2,500 extra troops to combat fiercer-than-expected Taliban resistance in the south before the onset of winter in coming weeks.

Some analysts had speculated that France might help but Alliot-Marie told RFI radio that the French were already stretched leading the command of forces in Kabul.

''Today, the situation in Kabul is stabilised but extremely fragile,'' she said when asked if France was ready to offer up more troops to Afghanistan.

''We are mobilising all of our forces there. There is no question that we can take some of our forces away from Kabul to send them to the south of Afghanistan.'' Alliot-Marie said France, which has some 2,000 troops in Afghanistan under different operations, was also participating in missions in countries like Ivory Coast and Lebanon.

''I think other countries, which are maybe less engaged, have possibilities to participate in this reinforcement,'' she said.

Poland said last week it would send 1,000 more troops early next year. Romania said on Monday it would send 200 troops to the south next month.

British, Dutch and Canadian soldiers are leading an alliance push into the south, the most lawless part of Afghanistan.

NATO nations have around 18,500 troops in Afghanistan with other non-NATO countries contributing a further 1,500 to its International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

REUTERS SP BD1506