http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finland+may+increase+size+of+force+in+Afghanistan/1135252219473
Helsingin Sanomat
January 19, 2010
Finland may increase size of force in Afghanistan
- Finland will provide special training to British, Norwegian, and German
soldiers, who are to coach Afghan security officials. The training is to take
place in Finland, because Finland has large numbers of aging Soviet-made
weapons, which are similar to the weaponry in use in Afghanistan....
Finland already has the resources to increase its presence, as the Kosovo
operation winds down.
Finland is preparing to decide on a significant proportional increase in its
commitment to Afghanistan. The move is being considered at a time of changes in
conditions in the area where Finland’s crisis management forces are deployed.
The reason for the change is the arrival of new US soldiers into the north of
Afghanistan, where there are crisis management troops from a number of
countries, including Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany.
....
Decisions are to be made at the foreign and security policy committee of the
government and president on Friday this week, in time for next week’s
international Afghanistan meeting in London.
The decisions would also be a response to a request for additional forces that
had been presented by the United States through various channels.
....
According to various assessments, the strength of the Finnish force in
Afghanistan could be raised from the present 120 to about 200.
The goal has been mentioned previously as part of long-term visions, but the
weakening of the security situation in Afghanistan adds pressures to speed up
the decisions.
Finland already has the resources to increase its presence, as the Kosovo
operation winds down.
The increase could not go at the same pace as the buildup of the United States,
whose 30,000 additional forces are to be deployed in Afghanistan by mid-2010.
When this happens, the total number of soldiers under US and NATO command in
Afghanistan would be more than 140,000.
Finland has also been asked for more military trainers, but only a handful of
the 30 trainers who have been promised have been recruited.
....
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) reported on Sunday that Finland will
provide special training to British, Norwegian, and German soldiers, who are to
coach Afghan security officials. The training is to take place in Finland,
because Finland has large numbers of aging Soviet-made weapons, which are
similar to the weaponry in use in Afghanistan.
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