French marines from the 21st RIMA brigade of Frejus board a C-160 Transall military transport plane at the military base of Istres, near Marseille in southern France, bound for Mazar-i-Sharif in northeastern Afghanistan on November 16, 2001. This is the first contingent of a 300-strong force with the mission to secure humanitarian aid and to protect mine-clearing teams around Mazar-i-Sharif. —REUTERS