French Leader Wants End To Military Draft

President Jacques Chirac proposed Tuesday the end of France’s 198-year-old draft, part of a plan to reduce the size of the French military and adapt it to the post-Cold War era.

He said the draft would be replaced beginning next year with a nine-month voluntary service program, which would give French young people a choice of serving in three areas: defense, humanitarian aid or public service such as hospitals.

Chirac’s defense plan, announced three months ago, includes cutting the country’s half a million soldiers to 350,000 within six years, creating a rapid reaction force which could be airlifted quickly to world trouble spots and merging defense firms to increase their competitiveness.