French Defence Minister says France and some allied NATO armies could begin to withdraw some of its forces from the conflict in Afghanistan as early as 2011. The announcement made by Mr. Herve Morin follows a series of recent terrorist threats directed at France. He said there is a fixed date for NATO in the framework of its new strategy and that in the beginning of next year they are going to transfer a whole series of districts to the Afghans. Mr Morin said the withdrawal has nothing to do with a threat issued against France by Islamist militant kingpin, Osama bin Laden recently. The French Defence Minister said the authorities are working to determine whether the threat, contained in an audiotape broadcast by the Arab satellite channel, Al Jazeera, was genuine.