French officer criticises army

Paris - A French colonel destined to reach the army's highest echelons has resigned in protest against military reforms he says are causing chaos and could turn the army into a refuge for political extremists. Col Peer de Jong (48), formerly aide-de-camp to President Jacques Chirac and now instructor at France's Combined Forces College, delivered his scathing criticism in a resignation letter to army chiefs which reached journalists yesterday. Col De Jong, who was on track to train as a general, also criticised the army's civilian masters, saying anti-militarist feelings reigned among the ministerial staffs of the country's Socialist-led government.