JD Vance Rips Into Europe: "Free Speech is Dying, Leaders Are Failing Voters
US Vice President JD Vance delivered a critical speech at the Munich Security Conference
The French contingent is going to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2013, which is one year ahead of NATO's schedule.
The statement was made by French President Nickolas Sarkozy after a meeting in Paris with Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on Friday.
Sarkozy announced that 1 000 soldiers from a total of 3 600 currently stationed in Afghanistan will return home in 2012.
On January 20th, four French soldiers, including one Bulgarian-born man – Chief Sergeant Svilen Simeonov, 34, were killed in northern Afghanistan, after a serviceman from the Afghan National Army opened fire.
In the aftermath Sarkozy said France was suspending its training programs in Afghanistan. After the meeting with Karzai, he informed that the training will resume immediately since the Afghan President had assured him that security for the French contingent will be upped.
It was reported meanwhile that the killer has confessed that he was motivated by the despicable video clip, distributed online, showing US soldiers urinating on the dead bodies of murdered Afghani servicemen.
French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet, who left for Afghanistan immediately after the incident, reported that the Afghan soldier was recruited by the Taliban, something Karzai rejected.
Chief Sergeant, Svilen Simeonov is being buried Saturday in his native Bulgarian village of Rakovski, near the northeastern city of Razgrad. The family attended the military honors ceremony in Paris, but said their son will be buried in Bulgaria.
Polls show that the majority of the French support an early withdrawal from Afghanistan. France has the fourth largest contingent there and the latest move is expected to force the US and other NATO members to seek ways to fill the vacuum.
The ongoing NATO exercise Steadfast Dart 2025, which runs from January 8 to February 22 across Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania, aims to enhance the Alliance's readiness and adaptability
A total of over 234.3 million leva, excluding VAT, has been allocated for four urgent construction and installation contracts at Graf Ignatievo Airport
Bulgaria's airport operators have agreed on the need to implement anti-drone systems at all international airports in the country
Anton Zlatanov, the head of the Border Police, spoke to BNT about the need for anti-drone systems at all strategic locations in Bulgaria, including airports
By the end of September, Bulgaria is set to receive eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has reported a significant rise in the number of individuals interested in joining the military
Bulgaria's Perperikon: A European Counterpart to Peru's Machu Picchu
Bulgarians Among EU's Least Frequent Vacationers, Struggling with Affordability