PARIS, August 19, 2008 (AFP) - French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said Tuesday that French soldiers should not die for Uncle Sam after 10 troops were killed in Afghanistan.

Accusing President Nicolas Sarkozy of waging a 'disastrous' pro-US policy, Le Pen said 'France had nothing to do in Afghanistan' where French troops are serving in a NATO-led force fighting a Taliban insurgency.

'All of France bows before our 10 soldiers killed in combat in Afghanistan,' the leader of the National Front said in a statement.

'These soldiers were doing their duty, but they did not die for France. They died in an unending war that the United States is waging in that country for its own interests.

'The death of our soldiers cruelly underscores that Nicolas Sarkozy is waging a disastrous policy aligned with the United States.

'Our soldiers should not be killed for Uncle Sam,' he said.

Sarkozy was to fly to Afghanistan later Tuesday to show support for French forces after a Taliban ambush near Kabul killed the 10 troops and wounded 21 soldiers.

It was the deadliest ground attack on foreign troops since the US-led war was launched in 2001 that ousted the Taliban from Kabul.

Sarkozy in April announced at a NATO summit that France would send reinforcements to Afghanistan despite polls showing a majority of the French opposed the beefed-up mission.

France has 3,000 troops serving in the 40,000-strong NATO force in Afghanistan.