Czechs bicker over sending 50 more troops to Afghanistan
(BRUSSELS2) The discussion continues around the engagement in Afghanistan in the Czech Republic and the political divisions observed in the past (1) are confirmed. If the Czech Parliament has approved the deployment of 535 soldiers in Afghanistan for 2010, it must, in fact, once again discuss the NATO Secretary General's request for reinforcements.
Reinforcement requested by NATO. The government (CSSD/Christian Democrat ODS Social Democratic Technical Coalition) has proposed sending 55 soldiers: 15 military police to help train the Afghan police, 40 soldiers and two artillery radars to the Polish base in the Ghazni province. But the left (Social Democrats and Communists) opposed it last week in the Chamber of Deputies. The Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Fogh Rasmussen, visiting Prague on March 5, insisted on his request for reinforcement of 51 soldiers, proposing a different distribution: 19 to train the Afghan troops, and the rest for the services of health. The ODS supports this request. But if the leader of the CSSD, Paroubek does not exclude a modification of the format of the soldiers sent on the spot, he refuses any increase in the contingent. The situation is therefore blocked.
Additional difficulties. Even the President of the Republic, Václav Klaus - who often surfs on popular subjects - has changed a little... his tune. Last fall, reacting to a mini-scandal in Prague when it was discovered that soldiers engaged in Afghanistan had exhibited Nazi signs, Klaus replied that the Czech army should be turned more " to the defense of the country » than towards « expeditionary missions ". Added to this is the budget crisis, the Czech army is faced with a drastic budget cut: 2700 positions cut. For NATO, however, after the Dutch's refusal to postpone their departure (2), it is important that a new European country does not "way“not about his involvement in Afghanistan.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) The social democratic opposition CS refuses the mission in Afghanistan. ...
(2) Le government NL fall on theAfghanistan. , a turning point.
