# 10 French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Gun Battle



## J.J (19 Aug 2008)

BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7569942.stm
CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/19/base-militants.html

Ten French soldiers have been killed in fighting with the Taliban east of the Afghan capital, Kabul, Afghan and French sources say. 

The deaths come amid heavy fighting near Kabul after Nato said one of its patrols was ambushed. 

The French soldiers were part of Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). 

Correspondents say it is the heaviest loss of troops France has suffered in Afghanistan since sending forces there. 

The French troops had been caught up in heavy fighting that started on Monday some 50 km (30 miles) east of Kabul. 

Despite increased security in Kabul, two rockets were fired on the city overnight, landing close to the Isaf headquarters. 

In the southern province of Kandahar a Nato patrol was struck by a roadside bomb. 

And in the province of Khost six suicide bombers have been killed in an attack on a Nato military base, Nato says. 

The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Kabul says there are now incidents like these every day across Afghanistan as the overall security situation appears to be deteriorating. 




Terrible news for the French.

RIP


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## geo (19 Aug 2008)

At ease troops
Rest in peace


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## tomahawk6 (19 Aug 2008)

My condolences to our French allies. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7569942.stm

Afghan ambush kills French troops 

Ten French soldiers have been killed in an ambush by Taleban fighters east of the Afghan capital, Kabul, the French president's office has confirmed. 

A further 21 French soldiers were wounded in one of the heaviest casualty tolls suffered by international peacekeepers in Afghanistan. 

The soldiers were part of the Nato-led peacekeeping International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). 

President Nicolas Sarkozy will go to Afghanistan shortly, his office says. 

The loss of life was the heaviest suffered by the French military since 58 paratroopers were killed in Beirut in 1983, the French news agency AFP reports. 

News of the deaths is bound to provoke anger back home where around two-thirds of French people say they are opposed to any French involvement in the conflict, the BBC's Emma-Jane Kirby reports from Paris. 

But President Sarkozy insisted France remained committed to the fight against terrorism and that the mission in Afghanistan would continue. 

'Extremely violent' 

The French troops had been caught up in fighting that started on Monday in the area of Sirobi some 50 km (30 miles) east of Kabul. 

They were killed "during a joint reconnaissance mission with the Afghan National Army", Mr Sarkozy said in a statement. 


"Serious measures, notably in the air, were taken to support and extricate our men caught in an extremely violent ambush." 

The French leader said his visit to Afghanistan would be to show his support for French troops there. 

France has 3,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan. Tuesday's deaths bring to 24 the number killed since 2002, AFP says. 

"The French were ambushed in a village after they left the Ozbin valley," an Afghan intelligence officer told the BBC.

See a breakdown of the Isaf deployment

"They were ambushed from several directions. The Taleban and al-Qaeda forces used heavy machine guns and other weapons. They fired from mountains and gardens." 

The fighting went on for 24 hours. 

The French recently took over control of the Kabul regional command which includes Sirobi. 

Wave of attacks 

The ambush came amid signs of deteriorating security in Afghanistan. 
Despite increased security in Kabul, two rockets were fired on the city overnight, landing close to the Isaf headquarters. 

In the southern province of Kandahar a Nato patrol was struck by a roadside bomb. 

And in the south-eastern province of Khost six suicide bombers were killed while attacking a Nato military base, Camp Salerno, Nato says. 

Isaf confirmed that Camp Salerno had been attacked by rockets or mortars, and that a number of suicide bombers had tried to storm the base. 

On Monday, nine Afghan civilians were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a car into the gate of the same base. 

Isaf said the numbers involved in Tuesday's attack were a lot smaller than the Taleban claimed. 

However, the governor of Khost, Arsala Jamal was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that two children were killed in the fighting and two more, along with a woman, were wounded.


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## kilekaldar (19 Aug 2008)

BBC BEWS: Afghan ambush kills French troops
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7569942.stm

Ten French soldiers have been killed in an ambush by Taleban fighters east of the Afghan capital, Kabul, the French president's office has confirmed.

A further 21 French soldiers were wounded in one of the heaviest casualty tolls suffered by international peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

The soldiers were part of the Nato-led peacekeeping International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).

President Nicolas Sarkozy will go to Afghanistan shortly, his office says.

The loss of life was the heaviest suffered by the French military since 58 paratroopers were killed in Beirut in 1983, the French news agency AFP reports.

News of the deaths is bound to provoke anger back home where around two-thirds of French people say they are opposed to any French involvement in the conflict, the BBC's Emma-Jane Kirby reports from Paris.

But President Sarkozy insisted France remained committed to the fight against terrorism and that the mission in Afghanistan would continue.

'Extremely violent'

The French troops had been caught up in fighting that started on Monday in the area of Sirobi some 50 km (30 miles) east of Kabul.


DEADLIEST ATTACKS ON ISAF
19 August 2008: 10 French troops killed and 21 wounded in ambush east of Kabul
13 July 2008: Nine US soldiers killed and 15 wounded in attack on base in Kunar
28 June 2005: Rocket-propelled grenade downs US helicopter in Kunar, killing all 16 servicemen aboard

They were killed "during a joint reconnaissance mission with the Afghan National Army", Mr Sarkozy said in a statement.

"Serious measures, notably in the air, were taken to support and extricate our men caught in an extremely violent ambush."

The French leader said his visit to Afghanistan would be to show his support for French troops there.

France has 3,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan. Tuesday's deaths bring to 24 the number killed since 2002, AFP says.

"The French were ambushed in a village after they left the Ozbin valley," an Afghan intelligence officer told the BBC.

"They were ambushed from several directions. The Taleban and al-Qaeda forces used heavy machine guns and other weapons. They fired from mountains and gardens."

The fighting went on for 24 hours.

The French recently took over control of the Kabul regional command which includes Sirobi.

Wave of attacks

The ambush came amid signs of deteriorating security in Afghanistan.

Despite increased security in Kabul, two rockets were fired on the city overnight, landing close to the Isaf headquarters.

In the southern province of Kandahar a Nato patrol was struck by a roadside bomb.

And in the south-eastern province of Khost six suicide bombers were killed while attacking a Nato military base, Camp Salerno, Nato says.

Isaf confirmed that Camp Salerno had been attacked by rockets or mortars, and that a number of suicide bombers had tried to storm the base.

On Monday, nine Afghan civilians were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a car into the gate of the same base.

Isaf said the numbers involved in Tuesday's attack were a lot smaller than the Taleban claimed.

However, the governor of Khost, Arsala Jamal was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that two children were killed in the fighting and two more, along with a woman, were wounded. 


On CNN

10 French soldiers killed in Afghan fighting
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/19/afghan.attack/index.html

    * Story Highlights
    * NEW: Sarkozy to travel to Afghanistan, AP reports
    * 10 French soldiers killed in fighting in Afghanistan
    * Up to six suicide bombers tried to attack U.S. base near Khost, NATO says
    * A few attackers blew themselves up outside of base, NATO spokesman says

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ten French soldiers were killed in heavy fighting with Taliban militants near the Afghan capital, France's defense ministry confirmed Tuesday, as violence raged across the country.

The deaths, nearly doubling the French toll in seven years' involvement in the Afghan conflict, came as the troops serving with the international NATO-led force fought in the Sarobi area near Kabul, the ministry said.

In a separate battle, several suicide bombers struck an American base in the Khost province in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, but U.S. and Afghan forces repelled the onslaught.

The fighting came after authorities tightened security on Monday in anticipation of militant attacks on the country's Independence Day. Earlier, Taliban militants struck an American base and assaulted a Canadian foot patrol, authorities said.

The French troops, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, were among about 1,670 French currently serving in Afghanistan.

The deaths mark a spike in fatalities this year among U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, with a resurgent Taliban at its most potent since it was pushed from power by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

Soon after news of the French deaths emerged, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced he would travel immediately to Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported.

U.S., British, Canadian and Dutch troops have been engaging in much of the combat in Afghanistan. The United States has been urging other countries in the NATO-led alliance to help ease the burdens of those troops on the frontlines.

ISAF said fighting between French troops and the Taliban started late Monday afternoon and continued Tuesday. Before this incident, 12 French troops had died in the Afghan war, mostly in combat.

Meanwhile, several suicide bombers struck an American base in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, but U.S. and Afghan forces repelled the onslaught.

Seven insurgents were killed in the attack, including three suicide bombers who blew themselves up after forces from the base encountered them more than 3,000 feet from the base, ISAF said in a statement.

The insurgents attacked Forward Operating Base Salerno, a U.S. base just north of the city of Khost, which is about 12 miles from the border with Pakistan, a spokesman for the force said.

U.S. and Afghan troops noticed the approaching militants by their "special behavior," the spokesman said. Helicopters flew in to attack them, the force said.

ISAF said it suffered no casualties.

Gov. Arsallah Jamal of Khost province, where the U.S. base is located, said four commandos -- presumably Afghans -- were injured after the militants struck late Monday.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said 15 suicide bombers with small arms and machine guns entered the base and inflicted heavy casualties -- claims that the NATO-led force and Khost governor dismissed.

The attack came after a suicide car bombing outside the base killed 10 Afghan civilians and wounded 13 others Monday, the U.S. military said. Two other would-be bombers were killed before they could carry out attacks, Jamal said.

Afghan forces stopped a second would-be car bomb near the base, performed a controlled detonation and detained a suspect, the NATO-led force said.

This comes as a source from the Afghan Defense Ministry, who declined to be named, confirmed that Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani arrived in Kabul on Tuesday morning to meet with Afghan and NATO military officials.

Gen. Athar Abas, the Pakistan Army's spokesman, said the meeting was regularly scheduled and the timing has nothing to do with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's resignation Monday.

In southern Afghanistan, a suicide bomber struck a Canadian foot patrol on Tuesday in the Kandahar province district of Panjwayee, local police said.

The bomber and an Afghan interpreter for NATO forces were killed, and a NATO soldier and a child were wounded, police said.

The attack occurred as troops chatted with villagers in the district's main bazaar. The Taliban, in a Web statement, said 11 foreign soldiers were killed or wounded in the attack.


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## geo (19 Aug 2008)

Holy crap.... 10 KIA + 21 WIA in ambush that was triggeres as they chatted with villagers in the main bazaar!!!

Though the total of casualties happened over a 24 hr period, you have to wonder how many perrished in the very 1st volleys of the firefight.  This is not good, not good at all.


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## tomahawk6 (19 Aug 2008)

There were preliminary indications that 4 of the KIA were executed after being captured.Probably fog of war.

Sarkozy statement.


> Publié le 19-08-08 à 13:05
> 
> Communiqué de M. le Président de la République
> 
> ...



The Guardian reported:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/19/afghanistan.nicolassarkozy



> Sarkozy to fly to Afghanistan after French soldiers killed in ambushFrench president to fly to Kabul after gun battle claims 10 French troops and 13 Taliban miltants
> Sadie Gray and agencies guardian.co.uk, Tuesday August 19 2008 13:07 BST Article history
> Nicolas Sarkozy today said he would travel to Afghanistan after 10 French soldiers were killed after Taliban insurgents attacked their patrol near Kabul.
> 
> ...


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## vonGarvin (19 Aug 2008)

geo said:
			
		

> Holy crap.... 10 KIA + 21 WIA in ambush that was triggeres as they chatted with villagers in the main bazaar!!!


That ambush "trigger" was vs. our troops in the south.  Media have reported (on the radio, anyway), that a Canadian Soldier was wounded, but is okay.  Not sure about locals.  Anyway, Taliban have reported that 10 ISAF were KIA in that attack.  That wasn't the battle near Kabul.


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## Teddy Ruxpin (19 Aug 2008)

Surobi was "hot" even a couple of years ago.  Popular lore has chanted the "Kabul is safe" mantra for so long that everyone was believing it, forgetting that the province extends well beyond the city proper.  Surobi was abandoned by the US as untenable when I was there, and my brigade did several surge ops into the area - mainly to ascertain the state of the Surobi Dam, a main supplier of power to Kabul proper.  At the time, the Taliban was floating bombs down the river in a somewhat comic attempt to breach the dam.

As I've said previously, the French will "drop the gloves" in a heartbeat if provoked.  Given the units involved, one wonders how the Taliban is faring - remembering to take all Afghan reports with a grain of salt.


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## cameron (19 Aug 2008)

Just read this story on Yahoo! news.  RIP to those brave men and my condolences to their families and comrades-in-arms


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## ark (19 Aug 2008)

RIP Soldiers


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## Scoobie Newbie (19 Aug 2008)

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080819/france_afghanistan_080819/20080819?hub=World

Updated Tue. Aug. 19 2008 12:59 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Ten French soldiers are dead and 21 injured after a battle with Taliban insurgents outside Kabul, in what is reportedly the biggest single loss of life during combat suffered among international forces in Afghanistan in three years.

The French soldiers were members of the 8th infantry parachute regiment. They were attacked while on a reconnaissance mission in a known militant stronghold, say military officials.

An Afghan official told the Associated Press that four of the 10 soldiers were first kidnapped by insurgents and then killed.

Sources told AP the battle took place over two days in the Surobi district of Kabul province, about 50 kilometres outside of the Afghan capital.

Qazi Suliman, the district chief in Surobi, said 13 insurgents also died in an ensuing three-hour gun battle. NATO said it sent reinforcements and a "large number" of the 100 attackers died.

Meanwhile, an Afghan intelligence officer told the BBC that the soldiers were "ambushed in a village" from "several directions."

The officer said the Taliban used heavy machine guns and other weapons to attack the soldiers.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday he will travel to Afghanistan immediately following the incident.

"My determination is intact. France is determined to continue the struggle against terrorism for democracy and freedom. The cause is just," Sarkozy said in the statement.

The latest deaths bring the total number of French troops killed in Afghanistan to 22. The attack marks the deadliest against international troops in the country since June 2005, when 16 U.S. troops were killed in Kunar province when their helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Harper's response

In response to the deadly incident, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered condolences to France over the loss of its soldiers. He said the loss of lives is sad, but that all NATO countries in Afghanistan must stay the course so that a stable environment can be accomplished.

Speaking in Hamilton, Ont. on Tuesday, Harper said Canadians have over the past several years understood the difficulty of the mission, and that Canada is proud to have the French making an enhanced contribution in Afghanistan.

Karzai may run again

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has told The Associated Press that he would like to seek re-election next year.

He said Tuesday that he has a job to complete, so "in that sense, yes, I would like to run."

Karzai has headed Afghanistan's government since the Taliban were toppled in late 2001. He served first as chair of the Transitional Administration then interim president.

On Dec. 7, 2004, Afghan's electorate elected Karzai, an ethnic Pashtun, as president for a five-year term.

Although he has hinted at a re-election run in 2009, this is the first time Karzai has addressed the issue directly.

Karzai, 50, is considered a staunch ally of the NATO presence in Afghanistan, but has been critical of civilian deaths resulting from counterinsurgency combat operations.

With files from The Associated Press


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## blacktriangle (20 Aug 2008)

RIP Troops!


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## 1feral1 (20 Aug 2008)

Sorry for the loss of 10 good men.

J'me souviens.

OWDU


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## Mike Baker (20 Aug 2008)

RIP Soldiers.



-Deadpan


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## MarkOttawa (20 Aug 2008)

More at _The Torch_:

The Taliban turn it up...
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2008/08/taliban-turn-it-up.html

Mark
Ottawa


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## Good2Golf (20 Aug 2008)

RIP les soldats.  Mes voeux et sentiments les plus sincères exprimés aux familles et les comrades des perdus.


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## tomahawk6 (20 Aug 2008)

Short video clip of the battle.

http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/monde/0,,3962797,00-camera-embarquee-avec-les-soldats-francais-en-afghanistan-.html


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## EW (20 Aug 2008)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Short video clip of the battle.
> 
> http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/monde/0,,3962797,00-camera-embarquee-avec-les-soldats-francais-en-afghanistan-.html



My french skills are not what they should be, but for what it's worth, I don't think that is the battle in question.  It reads 7 August and mentions securing a village north of Kabul.

That said, thanks for the link.  It shows that the recent ill fated incident is not the first time the French have been going about the business of engaging the Taliban.


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## geo (20 Aug 2008)

EW 
Report prepared with clip taken two weeks previously - with french paras.


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## wannabe SF member (20 Aug 2008)

In Tomahawk's video at 1:46 one of the french soldiers puts something on his rifle (a grenade perhaps?)
any ideas?


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## George Wallace (20 Aug 2008)

The incongruous said:
			
		

> In Tomahawk's video at 1:46 one of the french soldiers puts something on his rifle (a grenade perhaps?)
> any ideas?



A "Rifle Grenade".


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## geo (21 Aug 2008)

The incongruous said:
			
		

> In Tomahawk's video at 1:46 one of the french soldiers puts something on his rifle (a grenade perhaps?)
> any ideas?


A rifle grenade.  We had rifle grenades thru to the phasing out of the FN C1.
Within the CF we currently use the M203 grenade launcher - attaches to the C7 rifle.
Does pert much the same thing...


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## tomahawk6 (22 Aug 2008)




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## OldSolduer (22 Aug 2008)

To my French Brothers in Arms:

We shall not forget your sacrifice.


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## tomahawk6 (23 Aug 2008)

http://www.france24.com/en/20080821-france-pays-tribute-fallen-troops-france-afghanistan-0&navi=MONDE



> But even as France mourns its dead, there were questions about the preparedness of the troops as well as the military response on the ground.
> 
> Responding to criticism that the soldiers were too young and inexperienced, French Defence Minister Herve Morin said a professional army is “inevitably” composed of young soldiers.
> 
> ...


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## Scoobie Newbie (24 Aug 2008)

Beautiful ceremony by the looks of the photo's, unfortunately it had to happen at all.


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## Good2Golf (25 Aug 2008)

Lone Wolf Quagmire said:
			
		

> Beautiful ceremony by the looks of the photo's, unfortunately it had to happen at all.



Agreed.  Done with class.


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## tomahawk6 (25 Aug 2008)

Video:
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/paras%2Baux%2Binvalides/video/x6j8xq_hommage-aux-soldats-du-8-rpima_news


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## MarkOttawa (25 Aug 2008)

French general sees overconfidence in Afghan deaths
Reuters, August 25
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080825.wafghanfrance0825/BNStory/Afghanistan/home



> Overconfidence was probably a factor in the incident that led to the deaths of 10 French soldiers in an ambush in Afghanistan, the French commander in the region was quoted as saying on Monday.
> 
> “In the past two weeks we had largely secured the zone but you have to be frank, we were guilty of overconfidence,” General Michel Stollsteiner told the daily newspaper Le Parisien.
> 
> ...



Mark
Ottawa


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## geo (25 Aug 2008)

> “We were surprised instead of surprising our adversary,”



Ummm -  that's quite candid.  Wonder if the General figured that out on his own.



> We need what is called ‘Afghanization', that's to say to pass responsibilities, all responsibilities, as quickly as possible to the Afghans



Well - No $hit Sherlock... but you can't dump all responsibilities on the Afghans before they are ready.
You do it too quickly and the house of cards becomes shaky and it's structural integrity becomes compromised


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## daftandbarmy (28 Aug 2008)

Grim update on  ambush of French Army convoy last week in Afghanistan

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4622141.ece

Occasionally, in NI, we used to lose batches of 10 or more but kept going. And we had been fighting the battle for decades by that point. Sometimes there's not much you can do, and it's terrible, but it's something you need to be prepared to accept as a soldier and as a nation if you get involved in these kinds of conflicts.


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## geo (28 Aug 2008)

Ugh!

Between partisan politics and MsM muckraking, this has the potential to get real messy.

The troops had left their base, they were ambushed, they faught, their guys died, our guys died - we'll do beter next time.

Can we change stories now ???


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## tomahawk6 (5 Sep 2008)

Unfortunately this story continues. Payback of sorts is that 2 of the commanders that led this ambush were killed by ISAF forces.






(CNN) -- A magazine photo spread of Taliban fighters posing in the uniforms of 10 French soldiers killed last month has sparked an angry response.

The latest edition of Paris Match includes photos of the Taliban fighters and their commander, "Farouki," wearing French uniforms, helmets and using French assault rifles and walkie-talkies.

Farouki, aged 30-35, claims in the accompanying story to have led his group in the August 18 ambush which killed 10 French troops and injured a further 21 in the Sarobi District, 40 miles east of Kabul. It was the French army's single highest death toll in 25 years.

He said the area was "our territory" and the attack was a "legitimate" part of its defense.

Farouki said it did not need a lot of planning, with the French soldiers only spotted a short time before the assault.

He said the soldiers had died for "[George W.] Bush's" cause and that if France did not return the rest of its troops home they would all be killed.

Farouki said they would continue fighting till the last man.

French Defense Minister Herve Morin accused the magazine of helping the Taliban.

"Should we be doing the Taliban's promotion for them?" he asked in the French daily newspaper Liberation.

Joel Le Pahun, father of one of the killed soldiers, told the newspaper the pictures were "despicable."

Green MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit called them "voyeurism."

However, Paris Match editor Laurent Valdiguie defended the publication, saying it was "legitimate" given the importance of the story.

The story's author, Eric de Lavarène, said only he and photographer Véronique de Viguerie met the group and he asked his questions via their "fixer."


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## pfl (5 Sep 2008)

What scum. Wearing the clothes of a dead man? Ughh, despicable. :skull: I wish them a long and torturous death


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## The Bread Guy (5 Sep 2008)

And, as if that's not enough, there's the interview with the bad boys (Google English translation) saying "we'll kill every one of you Frenchmen here..." sort of things.

Some days, it seems all the MSM want is the scoop of talking to the enemy, without showing the whole picture from our side.... <<shaking of head>>


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## cameron (6 Sep 2008)

While I support press freedom there are times when common sense, good judgement, good taste and ethics should rule.  I have as little respect for the so-called 'journalists' who published this as I have for the Taliban


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## tomahawk6 (6 Sep 2008)

French folks that are discussing this on another board are unhappy with Paris Match to say the least.One anecdote of the ambush concerned the FFL medic who ran into the beaten zone to try to help the wounded even after being shot multiple times himself.There is also alot of talk about the poor bodyarmor compared to what US troops are wearing.


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## MarkOttawa (7 Sep 2008)

From an AW&ST blog:
  	
French Soldiers Were Assassinated in Afghanistan
Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 9/5/2008 9:48 AM CDT 
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a40aa07e4-1d9b-4a5a-ad0b-c47f110f088d



> The deaths of nine French soldiers in a Taliban ambush east of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, on August 18th (the 10th died when his armoured vehicle crashed) is turning into one of the major defense issues in France in recent times. Shock waves continue to resound as rumors are confirmed that four of the nine who died as they lay injured were assassinated by the insurgents and two of the others died of their injuries before help could come.
> 
> Rumors that all was not quite as the French defense ministry had described began circling almost as soon as the injured soldiers returned from Afghanistan on August 20th and analyses and articles have appeared daily in the French media from international relations specialists and defense analysts of all kinds, including retired generals.W
> 
> ...



H/t to Fred:
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/nspector4/Column/?src=hsr#268165

Mark
Ottawa


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## The Bread Guy (7 Sep 2008)

And the president of the Alumni of St. Cyr (France's equivalent to Canada's Royal Military College) is not impressed, either.....

GoogleEnglish translation


> Yes, there is indecency in a certain voyeurism, seeking details more or less sordid for the benefit of people settled far from the fighting. It is disgusting.  Yes, there is indecency by failing to write that these people are murderers....



Original in French


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## 1feral1 (8 Sep 2008)

Seeing the use of dead soldiers clothing and weapons openly displayed like this really demonstrates the godless savage mentality of the enemy, and acts like simply prove to me they must be destroyed like some type of rabid animal, no quarter drawn or given.

Payback always tastes sweet.

Step into my line of fire - PLEASE!

Infuriated, disgusted, yet focused.

OWDU


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## geo (8 Sep 2008)

Overwatch Downunder said:
			
		

> Seeing the use of dead soldiers clothing and weapons openly displayed like this really demonstrates the godless savage mentality of the enemy, and acts like simply prove to me they must be destroyed like some type of rabid animal, no quarter drawn or given.
> 
> Payback always tastes sweet.
> 
> ...



Sorta reminds me of old "wild west" pictures of Geronimo & his ilk... wearing their Blue coats as war trophies


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## George Wallace (8 Sep 2008)

Now that brings up an interesting observation:  Where are all our dissidents now?  Hell!  Had it been a NATO/Canadian soldier wearing Taliban clothing after a battle we would never heard the end of it.


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## geo (8 Sep 2008)

Whatever they do.....Just don't start collecting ears


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## blacktriangle (8 Sep 2008)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Now that brings up an interesting observation:  Where are all our dissidents now?  Hell!  Had it been a NATO/Canadian soldier wearing Taliban clothing after a battle we would never heard the end of it.



I haven't seen this on the news here in Canada at all. I have no faith in our media, and almost less in our country as a whole. All I can say is good hunting to the French...


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## GAP (21 Sep 2008)

French soldiers unprepared for Taliban ambush: report  ]
Article Link

Graphic Map of the battle

A secret NATO review obtained by The Globe and Mail shows that the French who were killed in August did not have enough bullets, radios and other equipment. By contrast, the insurgents were dangerously well prepared 
GRAEME SMITH From Saturday's Globe and Mail September 20, 2008 at 1:11 AM EDT

It was mid-afternoon when a tribal elder invited a U.S. military commander for a quiet chat in a garden. His village was surrounded by foreign troops, hunting around the mountain valley in search of infiltrators from Pakistan rumoured to be lurking in the barren hills.

Thirty soldiers from a French airborne platoon wandered farthest from the village, exploring a steep slope covered with rocks and scrubby vegetation under a high ridge.

That hill would soon become a killing ground, scene of the deadliest ambush against international forces since 2001, and the latest troubling sign that the insurgents are mastering the art of guerrilla war.

A NATO report on the incident obtained by The Globe and Mail provides the most in-depth account so far of an attack on Aug. 18 that shook the countries involved in the increasingly bloody campaign. The NATO report, marked “secret,” reveals woefully unprepared French troops surprised by well-armed insurgents in a valley east of Kabul. Ten soldiers were killed, the report concludes, but the other soldiers were lucky to escape without more deaths.
More on link


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## GAP (22 Sep 2008)

France boosts mission in Afghanistan
Peter O'Neil, Europe Correspondent ,  Canwest News Service Published: Monday, September 22, 2008
Article Link

PARIS - The French government, facing accusations since a deadly Taliban ambush last month that its troops in Afghanistan are ill-equipped, announced Monday it will beef up its mission there.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the government will add helicopters, drones, and roughly 100 more troops.

"We have decided to strengthen our military means in the areas of air mobility, intelligence and support," Fillon said during a parliamentary debate Monday on whether the troops should be withdrawn.

France has been embroiled in an intense debate over the unpopular mission after the Taliban killed 10 French paratroopers and wounded 21 others in a surprise attack last month.

"We have learned the lessons of the murderous ambush," Fillon said, adding that the reinforcements will be in place within weeks.

The public debate here is being animated by a weekend Canadian media report that cited an internal account by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization regarding the August ambush of French soldiers by insurgents.

The NATO document implied that the French soldiers had insufficient ammunition and communications equipment. The insurgents, often derided in the past for poor marksmanship, apparently included snipers who cut down French soldiers with deadly accuracy.

The ambush was the single worst battlefield defeat for allies since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001. It was France's biggest loss since a truck bomb killed 58 French soldiers in Beruit in 1983.

The vote on maintaining France's Afghan mission is expected to easily pass because Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party holds a commanding majority in the National Assembly. 
More on link


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## tomahawk6 (2 Oct 2008)

Wounded French soldiers give their account of the battle.

Original French article.
http://www.valeursactuelles.com/public/valeurs-actuelles/html/fr/articles.php?article_id=3321

LiveLeak translation.

Afghanistan, the wounded French soldiers speak.
The 18/08 Uzbin valley ambush.


What the surviving paras tell about the battle brings a succession of individual acts of bravery to light. Their professionalism ensured not only a low death toll, but to inflict terrible blows to the insurgents.


Monday, August 18. 9 am. About a hundred of soldiers form an armored column made up of two French platoons aboard VABs (light armored vehicles), t More..wo platoons of the Afghan National Army – trained by the French – and twelve American special forces, including an air guidance team. Evaluation by the intelligence service: “Thus far, the menace was due to small groups committing isolated acts... The insurgency has always failed to demonstrate the capacity or the intention of carrying out coordinated actions on a large scale.”

1 pm. Carmin 2 unit, led by adjudant (translator’s note: warrant officer) Gaëtan Évrard, arrives at Sper Kunday. The objective is a pass that reaches 2,000 meters, dominated by sheer crests. The road turns into a steep track. The armored vehicles must stop, troopers has to continue on foot. VABs and their 12.7 mm machine guns position themselves: the pass – located 1,500 meters away from the village – is lined up in the sights. The adjudant gives his orders. The ascent begins.


Adjudant Gaëtan Évrard (34 years old, platoon leader, seventeen years of active duty).
Image hotlink - 'http://www.valeursactuelles.com/public/valeurs-actuelles/html/upload/img/48d8f148a95bdevrard.jpg'

“I form a column as soon as the path starts to wind. Our gear is heavy, the progress is slow. It's as hot as hell. I order the group leaders to quicken their pace.” Each soldier is carrying six magazines of twenty-five cartridges plus a heavy bulletproof vest. A para gets sunstroke. He stays behind with the medic, a caporal-chef (translator’s note: rank between corporal and sergeant) from the 2ème régiment étranger de parachutistes. “I ask the sharpshooters to tell me what they see far away in the distance. Nothing to report, they reply, adding that the first group is 100 meters away from the pass.”

1.45 pm, H hour. In the last hairpin bend, this is Hell all of a sudden. Within a second, the air is filled with detonations, firings in bursts and explosions. It’s an ambush. Reflexes are instantaneous. “Everyone jumps behind the scrawny rocks which line the slope. The position is precarious, the platoon is utterly scattered over 100 meters. An intense fire lacerates the ground for a quarter of an hour.” The paras strive to blend in with the rocks in order to dodge the rounds. “I immediately make the radio contact with the leading group. I hear that my second-in-command and two other guys are hit.”

The noise is deafening. Impacts on the ground whip up a suffocating dust. “I try to take cover behind a big rock with five other paras, including the radio operator and the sharpshooter. There are some other guys a few meters away but I can’t see them.” The ground is being riddled with the fire. It is impossible to go and get the wounded. “Yet, one of my group leader achieves to catch me up. He looks really pale, he staggers, he’s got a bullet in the stomach. We lie him down, we take his bulletproof vest off, his helmet and we apply a compress. Fire comes from the ridges, both from the left and the right. We are caught in the crossfire.”

The paras shoot back forcefully but they cannot see their assailants. Splinters of rock shatter everywhere. “My face is covered with blood, other buddies are shot in the legs, in the arms. Our sharpshooter manages to shoot down a few silhouettes furtively made out over the crest line. We hear the Famas firing higher up.” Now this is proof that the platoon does retaliate. The paras are fighting. And they’re fighting well.

Down in the valley, VABs machine guns spit out belt after belt to contain the Talibans and to allow the platoon to extricate itself from the trap. By two, by three or all alone, the paras dispersed among the rocky battlefield defend themselves. They fight back while the Talibans attempt to approach. “Sergeant Cazzaro shouts at me that the enemy is damn close. I lose the contact with the RMT section in the village but I reach the captain in Tora.” Évrard achieves to maintain the radio contact: “Sir, hurry up! No one is in a position to support me… I’m stuck under heavy fire. It’s Bazeilles around here, my captain. It’s Bazeilles!”

H + 25 minutes. Évrard has asked for air support. Ten minutes later, American A-10s fly over the combat zone. The combatants are utterly interlocked and the pilots have to turn back. That’s what the Talibans were expecting. At the same time, Tora dispatches troops as reinforcements.

Évrard is hit. “I’ve felt a shock in my shoulder but I could still use my hand. I could feel my shoulder tingling but I haven’t looked at it because the bad guys were sniping at us real hard.” Native of the Ardennes, tough, the noncom devotes himself wholeheartedly to his command under enemy fire. “In fact, I got that I was badly hit when we were able to disengage.”

Fire becomes more and more accurate. “We squeezed up because the rounds were hitting really close. It was no longer burst firing but pinpoint firing. I saw my sharpshooter killing a Talib. The dude tumbled down a rock, his sniper rifle followed him.”

The radio has remained out in the open. Évrard holds the handset but the cord is too tight. The operator is busy rescuing the wounded group leader. Desperately, he gives him a heart massage and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. A round goes through his hand. He sits up and shows his hand to Évrard. The blood is pouring. “Fuck! Sir...” Évrard growls: “Wait, what do you think? Keep giving him a massage. We’ll see your injury later! He looked at me and his face broke into the very same funny grin he had every time I was giving him an earful or when he was having a hard time at the commando training.”

Rounds are hitting dangerously close. The operator realizes that the radio is still out in the open: “Sir, I’m gonna get the radio.” He rushes through the heavy fire and comes back with it. “He puts the radio on my knees, under an increasingly violent fire. Bullets ring out very closely. Then... he sits down in front of me, as if to shield me with his body. He looked at me. Just then he’s fatally wounded. I will never forget his grimace and his small grin.” This sacrifice symbolizes Carmin 2’s tremendous cohesion.

The position is unbearable. The paras create a fireball by firing full rounds of bullets at the ridge in order to cover their adjudant who manages to move back a bit. The sharpshooter who had remained near the rock to protect the retreat of his mates got killed. Before he passes away, he has the time to whisper: “I bumped off eight of them... eight.” Évrard finds himself beside another para who has remained with the medic of the Foreign Legion whose knee is smashed. In civilian life, the caporal-chef from the 2ème REP had already saved two people. He will be found dead, after having taken three injured comrades under cover.

H + 2 hours and 5 minutes. Carmin 2 has started to effect a tactical withdrawal, supported by American attack helicopters and A-10s. The support last an hour. Évrard manages to get to the VABs.

8 pm. Night has fallen. Backup from Kabul have arrived. A few paras achieve to pull out. Some others keep on fighting between the rocks, alone in the dark. “We save the cartridges because we had been fighting since eight hours! We had lost all sense of time, the harassing fire had left us reeling.”

H + 8 hours and 15 minutes. Sper Kunday is under control. The first bodies are found. The pass is finally taken at sunrise but clashes continued until noon, on August 19. The fighting lasted twenty hours. About eighty rebels have been killed.

For the duration of the engagement, adjudant Évrard, wounded, have maintained the radio contact with his captain and his men who were applying to push back the Talibans near the pass. He was able to point sergeant Andrieux’ heavy machine guns, 600 meters down below. “We’ve done it just like we’ve learn it at the training!”, they all state.


Sergeant Romain Andrieux (23 years old, group leader, three years of active duty).
Image hotlink - 'http://www.valeursactuelles.com/public/valeurs-actuelles/html/upload/img/48d8f148aa6b6andrieux.jpg'

His four VABs deployed near the village and their 12.7 mm machine guns pointed at the pass provide the first fire support. “I have pointed out the fields of fire in order to rake every peak.” He scans the landscape through binoculars. “We could see the platoon moving forward on the twisting path. It was a steep hill. The fire started in one fell swoop. I immediately returned fire.”

The first fire comes from the pass but Andrieux’s VABs are also engaged. “Bullets splatter on the ground and on the vehicles. An antitank rocket that came from the right goes above our heads and explodes farther away. Up there around the pass, the shoot-out gets even fiercer. Other rockets are fired without causing any damage. I quickly get the contact with adjudant Évrard, so he can point my gunnery. Even through the binoculars, I can’t see the Talibs.”

The sergeant opens fire with all his machine guns. The 12.7 mm spray the crests. For the Talibans, Andrieux is a target of prime importance. “My gunners have to sit in the open turret, head and shoulders exposed. My pilots are lying flat on the ground against the armored vehicles. They shoot back with their Famas, but with a low effectiveness since they’re too far away. We couldn’t stay for too long in the same place because the impacts were hitting dangerously close. The Talibs soon turned to a pinpoint firing.”

Impacts whip up clouds of dust. “The most worrying things are the bullets which hit the armor plate and ricochet all over the place whistling through the air. Fire never ceased. When it came from the left, we rushed to the right side of the VABs and conversely. A round went through my leg’s pants, another one cut the chinstrap of Gil’s helmet.”

The stock of ammunition belts becomes scarce. One needs to carry back some more, but soldiers have to run out in the open to reach the VAB which secures the rearguard. An American Hummer comes up to the French, shoots back and gives them a few crates of cartridges. “We fired off a lot and we often had to change the ammunitions onto the roof of the VABs. Pilots went up to do it without the slightest hesitation. They understood the order, even if the fire became more intense as soon as they were showing up. More than anything, we were thinking about our buddies trapped up there.”

In the twilight, Andrieux is informed by radio that Évrard and a few wounded paras are coming up to him. “We attempt to go to meet them but it was impossible for us to walk past the first house in the village: the fire was converging on us. So, we’ve created a fireball by shooting with all our weapons to allow them to run across the open field and board the VABs. We had practically exhausted our 12.7 ammunitions. I had kept a half-belt. Just in case…”


Private Philippe Gros (20 years old, rifleman, fifteen months of active duty).
Image hotlink - 'http://www.valeursactuelles.com/public/valeurs-actuelles/html/upload/img/48d8f148ab53egros.jpg'

As an English speaker, Gros is responsible for acting in collaboration with the Afghan interpreter who accompanies the platoon leader. “At the outbreak of the attack, I’m with the second-in-command behind the adjudant. We catch up with our warrant officer straight away and gather round him behind a big rock, in order to protect him. He had his fight to carry out, we had ours.”

Professional reactions are instantaneous: the paras protect their leader who gives an account of the battle and coordinates the maneuver. They share their fields of fire. “We didn’t shoot back immediately to avoid friendly fire: the other groups were between us and the pass. There was nothing we could see, not even our buddies a few meters away. Too much dust. On the other hand, the Talibs were bound to see us very clearly because their bullets were splattering very close. They were sniping at us terribly hard with Dragunov sniper rifles.”

A noncom leaves his rock to find out about the situation around the pass. “He comes back tearing down the slope a few minutes later. Just when he’s about to reach our shelter, he’s hit in the stomach, under the bulletproof vest. We give him the emergency care.” The second-in-command dashes forward to endeavor to free the paras stuck higher up. “I haven’t seen him coming back…”

“Talibs maneuver and start to outflank us on the right wing. The wounded mate is hit a second time and a third time. I had seen that our adjudant was injured as well but we didn’t want to piss him off with that. He had a hard job to do. The captain was asking him detailed reports on the fighting before intervening.”

Gros decides to protect Évrard who is hit. The place becomes unbearable. “We had to leave but every attempt provoked a volley of bullets. The three of us did stay here to enable the adjudant to move back. He was the key guy and he had to withdraw to maintain the radio contact. Another buddy falls under enemy fire. He huddled up on the ground. I wanted to dash and take him under cover but it was impossible to do so. The ground in front of me was being riddled with the bullets. I’ve found myself trapped with Dussaing and Marchand. We had to wait for dark to fall over the battlefield.”

The small group will slip away by crawling along a low wall. “Marchand is wounded, his shoulder is dislocated. He can’t crawl. He wants us to leave him on the spot but we don’t want to abandon him.” Night is falling. “We tell ourselves that we could clear off thanks to the darkness. But the Talibs are making straight for us. Marchand throws a hand grenade that bumps four or five bad guys off.” They are located, fire resumes with renewed vigor. “I move away by crawling in order to attack them from the rear. Dussaing throws a grenade which drives them off. I spot four bad guys and I manage to shoot down a couple of them with my Famas. We hear the two others speaking on walkie-talkie. Another grenade silences them. We’ve told ourselves: they’re KO, we gotta go!”

At the very same time, an A-10 appears suddenly and fires a stream of 30 mm rounds, right above them. “We’ve taken advantage of the dust for withdrawing discreetly.” The paras get away through a series of thrusts and carefully avoid venturing onto the bombarded path. They come across a VAB toppled into a ditch. “When we open it, we find Hamada. The corporal’s arm is seriously injured. The interior is covered with blood. He had put a tourniquet on him but he did it wrong. I do it again correctly. We try to bring the VAB out of the ditch but it’s really impossible. We had to turn back.” Before leaving the place, the paras have the presence of mind to “bust what is needed” so that nothing interesting will fall into the Talibans’ hands. “Later on, we’ve learnt how many KIA we got… But we do know that we’ve plugged many bad guys.”


Private Vincent Paul (20 years old, sharpshooter, fifteen months of active duty).
Image hotlink - 'http://www.valeursactuelles.com/public/valeurs-actuelles/html/upload/img/48d8f2078541apaul.jpg'

Paul stood in for the para who got sunstroke in the leading group. He therefore finds himself in the very front line when the insurgents open fire. “Right from the first shots, we’ve flattened ourselves against a low stone wall. We were five, all huddled up, surrounded by the impacts. Bullets were hitting twenty centimeters away from our feet. We returned fire but we couldn’t see anything. Higher up, our buddy at the head of the march was wounded but he was out of sight.”

The Talibans are extremely close. “My neighbor informs me that he’s spotted a head between the rocks. In my telescopic sight, I make out a small slit made of flat stones. Behind, there’s a moving shadowy figure. Rear sights 600. I fire a shot without seeing the impact. I adjust my aim: 400 meters. Wham, I got him! Everyone was firing off. Hamada have thrown a rifle grenade. We could only show up for a few seconds because they were aiming at us quickly and accurately. After an hour and a half, we were having a hell of a hard time.”

The Talibans enfilade the paras on the right. “Within three seconds, everyone got hit. The wounded and groaning soldiers attempt to make themselves as small as possible. The sole salvation would be to get over the pile of rocks. We dived as one and took cover behind two big rocks. The caporal-chef Grégroire gives Weatheane an injection of morphine. The others treat themselves as far as possible.”

Bullets ricochet, unharmed troopers shoot back nonstop. “We were eight, too many behind these rocks. We had to move outta here. The sergeant and another guy left to catch up with the adjudant. Along with Weatheane and Garabedian, we got to a small thalweg that seemed to lead to the village. We progressed through a series of thrusts because they were sniping at us at every possible opportunity. The caporal-chef’s arm was crushed to a pulp. He suffered a great deal.”

The fighting does not abate: explosions, bursts, smoke, dust, the whole of the hill is under fire. So are the VABs, but even so the French machine guns keep on spraying the crests relentlessly. “I’ve seen the A-10s coming from the valley and flying above the slope at low altitude. They were firing at the insurgents but also straight at our position. It was dark, I was afraid they hit us. I’ve seized my flashlight and sent out a few SOS: dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot. At some point, the plane has flown over me and I’ve seen the pilot’s figure. He’s sent me out signals with a red light. He had understood. It was an enormous relief.”

They must keep on moving down. As they approach the first house, Paul sees some figures. “At the shape of the helmets, I knew they were French. “Hey guys, that’s me, Paul!” They have immediately taken up their combat position. I’ve repeated my name a few times and they replied: “Carmin 2?” I went up to them and I recognize Carmin 3’s first lieutenant.” Thanks to Paul, the wounded caporal-chef is safe and useful pieces of information are delivered.

Badly affected, Carmin 2 has been repatriated to Castres. Volunteers of the 8ème RPIMa have fallen over each other to take over their comrades. The first section of the third company has been chosen. It also is an adjudant, “a son of the 8ème” – who joined as a simple paratrooper in 1990 –, who is in command of this platoon. The section has arrived in Kabul. The mission must go on for this regiment united more than ever before by the ordeal.


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## wildman0101 (2 Oct 2008)

Rest in Peace Lads  
Condolences to all...
                                Scoty B


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## The Bread Guy (2 Oct 2008)

Good catch T6 - thanks for sharing.


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## cameron (3 Oct 2008)

Thanks for sharing Tomahawk 6, hopefully this version will get as much press as the other versions of the story that have been put out there.


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## 1feral1 (3 Oct 2008)

Good article, thanks.

OWDU


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## geo (3 Oct 2008)

Well - this certainly dispells the tired old stories of French soldiers not being able to fight.

Great article T6 - certainly deserves a read by people who look down on the military.

Allons y !

CHIMO!


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## GAP (3 Oct 2008)

Thanks T6


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