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Sarobi ambush : ‘Taliban were better armed than French troops’

* Thousands demonstrate in France, Germany for soldiers’ return

MONTREAL: The Taliban fighters that ambushed French soldiers in Afghanistan on August 18 were well-trained and better armed than their enemy, according to a NATO report published in the Globe and Mail on Saturday.

Ten French soldiers were killed - including one stabbed to death - and another 21 wounded in the attack by about 100 Taliban in Sarobi, 50 kilometres east of Kabul. It was the deadliest ground battle for international soldiers in the country since they toppled the Taliban regime in 2001, and the heaviest toll for the French military in 25 years.

The 30 French paratroopers that were ambushed did not have enough bullets or proper communication equipment, the newspaper said, citing a leaked NATO document marked “Secret.” That forced the French to stop fighting after only 90 minutes, the newspaper said. Among them the soldiers had only one radio which was quickly knocked out, leaving them unable to call for air support.

The Taliban fighters also included snipers, and fighters used incendiary bullets that punches holes in armoured vehicles. “The enemy’s accuracy was very good,” the document said, according to the newspaper. “The fact that they have more sophisticated arms is perhaps also a sign there’s a connection to outsiders.” a spokesman with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Canadian Brigadier General Richard Blanchette, told the newspaper. Thousands in France, Germany, protest Afghan deployment

Demonstrations: Thousands of people in France and Germany took to the streets on Saturday calling for soldiers deployed in Afghanistan to be brought home, police and march organisers said. Both countries have parliamentary votes coming up on the issue. More than 5,000 people took to the streets Saturday in Berlin and Stuttgart to protest against the decision to prolong the deployment of German troops in Afghanistan, police from both cities said.

Demonstrators, who had been mobilised by 250 pacifist groups and trade union organisations, carried banners with slogans including “Give peace a chance - Bring the troops back from Afghanistan.” At least 3,300 people rallied in Berlin and a further 2,000 in Stuttgart, although the event organisers put the total figure at 7,000 people.

In France, marches calling for the recall of French troops in Afghanistan took place in about 10 towns across the country, organised by political activists, trades unions and several left-wing opposition political parties. In Paris, where the biggest march took place, 3,000 people took part in a march - 2,000 according to police. afp

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