News In Brief
| N'Djamena, Chad
French troops start pulling out of Chad
French paratroopers sent to Chad 13 months ago to prevent a Libyan-backed rebel takeover began a phased withdrawal on schedule yesterday, despite Chadian concern that Libyan troops would not do the same.
The plan to end the foreign intervention was announced jointly in Tripoli and Paris a week ago. Some 3,500 French troops and up to 5,000 Libyan soldiers are to pull out of the former French colony by Nov. 15.
The agreement between France and Libya, transmitted to Chad only after it was reached, angered the government of President Hissein Habre.
