http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/govt-approves-reinforcement-of-czech-contingent-in-afghanistan/428909
Czech News Agency February 1, 2010 Govt approves reinforcement of Czech contingent in Afghanistan -[T]he reinforcement of the Afghan mission might be compensated by a decrease in the number of troops in Kosovo where even a smaller contingent would be able to fulfill the tasks. Apart from the Czech participation in the ISAF mission, members of the Czech 601st special forces group served in the U.S.-commanded Enduring Freedom anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan. They mainly focused on direct combat actions against the Taliban gunmen. Prague: The government today approved the reinforcement of the Czech contingent serving in Afghanistan by up to 55 troops, Defence Minister Martin Bartak confirmed to CTK. Fifteen new people are to help train the Afghan police and some 40 soldiers with two Arthur artillery hunting radars are to protect the Polish base in the Ghazni province. The government would send no combat units, but only training, protective and logistic teams to Afghanistan, Bartak told reporters before his departure for Israel today. The new troops can be deployed only after the Chamber of Deputies debates and approves the reinforcement, Foreign Minister Jan Kohout said, adding it would not be easy. The soldiers could leave for Afghanistan in the other half of 2010, he added. .... The Chamber of Deputies passed the deployment of up to 535 soldiers in Afghanistan this year. Most of them are operating in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the province of Logar. Three Czech military transport helicopters have been operating in Afghanistan since January. The reinforcement of units in Afghanistan is part of the U.S. and NATO strategy with the aim to solve the difficult security situation in the country. Bartak recalled that the neighbouring Slovakia, for instance, had increased its contingent in Afghanistan by 250 troops. The Social Democrats (CSSD) are opposed to any increase in the number of troops in foreign missions, CSSD chairman Jiri Paroubek reiterated it today. Bartak refused to comment on Paroubek´s objections, but he said he had informed Civic Democrat (ODS) chairman Mirek Topolanek about the plan and that the ODS fully supported the reinforcement. The Czech parliament would have to approve the proposed reinforcement of the Afghan mission above the approved number of soldiers. The military was originally considering reinforcing the contingent by up to 100 soldiers as well as sending the L-159 subsonic combat aircraft in Afghanistan. The media were also speculating about the deployment of a tank platoon. The government-approved reinforcement of the Afghan mission is in compliance with the results of the international conference held in London last week, Kohout stressed. "The government decided so with regard to NATO commitments, requirements of the allies and on the basis of our own analyses being aware of responsibility for these commitments," Fischer said. Bartak said previously that the reinforcement of the Afghan mission might be compensated by a decrease in the number of troops in Kosovo where even a smaller contingent would be able to fulfill the tasks. Apart from the Czech participation in the ISAF mission, members of the Czech 601st special forces group served in the U.S.-commanded Enduring Freedom anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan. They mainly focused on direct combat actions against the Taliban gunmen. ($1=18.782 crowns) =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato Blog site: http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/ To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwroz...@yahoo.com or stopnato-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. ==============================
