French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday that France would follow the lead given by US President Barack Obama on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, as dpa reported. Obama announced Wednesday that 33,000 US soldiers would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 2012, with 10,000 of them set to be out by the end of this year. France would also begin a "progressive withdrawal" in a "manner proportional and (working to) a timetable comparable to the withdrawal of the American reinforcements," the French presidency said in a statement. Obama had discussed the issue with Sarkozy by telephone before making his speech Wednesday, the statement said. Sarkozy said France "shares the American analysis and objectives and welcomes President Obama's decision."
