French leader faces likely NATO ire on Afghanistan

For President Barack Obama's relationship with France, it's out with "Sarkozy the American" and in with Francois Hollande the Socialist.     

Freshly inaugurated, French President Hollande visits the White House on Friday and plans to announce a pullout of all French combat troops from Afghanistan by year's end. That could infuriate NATO allies and embarrass his re-election-minded host  and may well be logistically impossible.     

Hollande, who has little international experience, will have to muster diplomatic finesse for the political thicket he faces in the United States.     

First, he must defend France's interests while building a relationship with Obama, widely popular in France but seen by some in Hollande's camp as having been too friendly with his predecessor, conservative Nicolas Sarkozy.     

Second, Hollande must convince partners at the Group of Eight economic summit at Obama's presidential retreat, Camp David, that his insistence on rethinking a European austerity treaty won't send the region deeper into debt crisis.     

And third, Hollande must manage likely anger at a NATO summit in Chicago over his planned announcement to pull France's 3,300 troops out of Afghanistan two years ahead of schedule. Analysts say this could set a bad precedent for France's new commander in chief and raise questions about France's willingness to keep its commitments to the alliance.    

Hollande will meet Obama for the first time on Friday before they head to the G-8 summit at Camp David. The subsequent, two-day NATO summit in Obama's home turf of Chicago has shaped up as Hollande's big showdown with the allies  and not just with the U.S.    

As for Obama, he will be taking the measure of a leader whose campaign promises run counter to U.S. policy on both economic issues and Afghanistan. The White House has been stressing the areas of agreement and predicts Hollande will continue Sarkozy's strong alliance with the U.S. in imposing a tough line on Iran.     

"We'll have to work through other issues," White House national security adviser Tom Donilon said Thursday. "The stances that President Hollande took during the course of his campaign obviously he intends to keep as president, but I at this point frankly see a good relationship building."     


AP