|
[ 11 January 2006 ]
Dutch Party Blocks Participation In Nato Expansion In Afghanistan
Democrats 66, a party in the Dutch coalition government, is refusing to work on a proposed compromise that would allow the Netherlands to dispatch 1,200 troops as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) expansion into southern and central Afghanistan, Rotterdam daily "NRC Handelsblad" reported on 9 January. The Dutch cabinet is due to take up the issue of sending troops to Oruzgan Province again soon. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, a former Dutch foreign minister, on 9 January urged the Dutch government to speed up "as much as possible" its decision-making process, AFP reported. In December, NATO foreign ministers formally endorsed the expansion of ISAF into the restive areas by July (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 20 December 2005). Canada and the United Kingdom are the other two main contributors of troops for the planned ISAF expansion along with non-NATO-member Australia, and all three countries are waiting for the Dutch deployment that includes attack helicopters necessary for the overall operation. U.S. Undersecretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried said he is "perplexed by the debate in the Netherlands" over the agreement to send forces to Afghanistan, Xinhua News Agency reported on 10 January. Currently the bulk of forces in the areas into which ISAF will expand are from the United States. AT
Czech Republic May Double Size Of Force In Afghanistan
Czech Defense Minister Karel Kuehnl is reportedly planning to propose doubling the size of the Czech military contingent within ISAF, CTK reported on 10 January. Currently the Czech Republic maintains a unit of 43 soldiers in northern Afghanistan working with one of the German-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams. In addition, 17 Czech soldiers operate in Kabul airport as part of a meteorological and ordinance-disposal unit. AT
Seven Pakistani Security Personnel Killed Along Border With Afghanistan
At least seven members of the Pakistani security forces have been reported killed in a rocket attack on a military post in a Pakistani tribal region bordering Afghanistan, international news agencies reported. Officials said suspected militants attacked the post near Miranshah, capital of the semi-autonomous North Waziristan tribal region, on 10 January. The assault is reported to have continued for a number of hours. No casualties among the attackers were immediately reported. Eight Pakistani troops were reported killed on 7 January in an assault on another post in the region. Islamabad also alleged that eight civilians were killed in the region as a result of cross-border fire by U.S.-led coalition forces stationed in Afghanistan (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 January 2006). AT
| 
![[e-mail this link to a friend]](/images/english/email.gif){kind=small}
![[print version]](/images/english/print.gif){kind=small}
