Ten days ago, 10 French soldiers fell in Afghanistan during fighting with Taliban terrorists. They fell in the service of a just cause, as part of a mission approved by the United Nations: the fight against terrorism, the fight for our values, for freedom and for human rights in a country that has been battered by obscurantist barbarism. Let us remember the stonings in stadiums, the mutilations, the flouting of women’s rights. Our soldiers fell to protect France, to protect the French from the direct threat of terrorism, whose source lies largely in that part of the world. That is what is at stake in Afghanistan.

A year ago, I told you right here that one of the main challenges of the years to come would be to avoid a confrontation between Islam and the West. A confrontation that these extremists, who reject any opening, any kind of modernity, any kind of diversity, would like to provoke. I told you that it was our duty to help and encourage the forces of moderation and modernity in Afghanistan. That is what we have done and that is what we will continue to do.

Our military presence, decided on understandably in 2001, has been strengthened. Together with its European allies—25 of the 27 members of the EU—as well as Americans, Canadians and Turks, France is doing its utmost to stabilize that country and to prevent a regime allied with al-Qaeda from returning to power. We decided to strengthen our presence as part of the new allied strategy defined at France’s behest at the Bucharest summit. It remains valid, entailing a lasting commitment, a comprehensive civilian and military approach with increased coordination of aid, the necessary cooperation of Pakistan, and especially the progressive takeover of Afghan security responsibilities by the Afghans themselves. That is the top objective, in my view, because it is the prerequisite for lasting success. In central Afghanistan, in the Kabul region, it is France that since August has been in charge of organizing this transfer of responsibility to the Afghan army within a maximum period of one year. Tomorrow, 28 August, it will be entrusted with the security of the city of Kabul.