France to return to NATO

PARIS, March 12 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants France to return as a full member of NATO, 43 years after the country suddenly pulled out of the military alliance.

Sarkozy said rejoining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would mean that Paris could wield greater influence in the 26-member group while remaining independent when it comes to its nuclear arsenal.

Critics of Sarkozy, who include former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, say the president is sacrificing France's independence in order to please the United States.

Sarkozy argues that the decision by former President Charles de Gaulle to leave NATO as a full-fledged member to remain politically independent is not timely anymore, and reversing it would be in France's and Europe's interest.

"The time has come to end this situation," Sarkozy, who has strengthened ties with Washington since he became president in May 2007, said in a speech in Paris. "Our strategy cannot remain stuck in the past when the conditions of our security have changed radically."

Running Europe's largest armed forces, France has long been an active member of NATO-led security missions. Some 3,000 French troops are stationed in Afghanistan, and upon Sarkozy's decision, they are also taking part in combat missions -- a step other European allies, including Germany, have not been willing to take.