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| Europe | |
| Czechs may join hunt for al-Qaeda | |
| 2003-12-05 | |
The government has pledged to send 150 special-forces troops to assist in NATO operations in Afghanistan, Defense Ministry Spokesman Ladislav Sticha confirmed Dec. 2. If the mission receives approval from Parliament, the troops will join in the hunt for Taliban and al-Qaida forces as part of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom coalition. Karel Kovanda, the country’s ambassador to NATO, extended the offer at a Dec. 1 meeting in Brussels, and the government is expected to make a final decision on the plan by January. The government had offered to send troops to the region last year, but later scrapped the plan after officials discovered that a special anti-terrorist unit from Prostejov, south Moravia, was not up to the task. NATO Secretary General George Robertson, who has been pushing members to contribute to the NATO effort in Afghanistan, reportedly welcomed the Czech government’s pledge. Spain, Germany, Norway, Turkey and the Netherlands have also offered to send troops to the region. NATO has considered assuming control of operations in Afghanistan from the United States, but the move has been hampered by a lack of equipment and personnel.
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| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #5 JH where was that C Puller theory/thing from...? Sure sounds like him. Every time I'm in a certain bar in Ft. Lauderdale I have to buy beer for a one eyed man who claims he was Chester's personal bodyguard... who knows. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-5 7:08:13 PM |
| #4 OP, not much of an organization w/the big three and the little twelve or whatever they have now. Good Heinlein reference. Great book, shitty movie. Chesty Puller once said something similar about being constantly vigilant and always training, or be prepared when the time comes that we are taken over and bred out by a more hearty race. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-12-5 2:45:51 PM |
| #3 Jarhead - European nations, with the notable exception of Britain and the Danes, have relied almost exclusively on the United States protecting them. The Germans haven't added any new tanks since the Leopard, which is now almost thirty years old. More than half the European military are now unionized. You can guess how well that works. Most believed that, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were no more enemies, and they could use their defense budgets for social programs. I'm constantly reminded of something Robert Heinlein said (paraphrased) in Starship Troopers: "Those that 'ain't gonna study war no more' will soon be the slaves of someone who does." The more the Europeans become "sophisticated and erudite", the stoopider they behave. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-5 12:19:33 PM |
| #2 The Czech's in the mail.... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-12-5 10:28:47 AM |
| #1 "NATO has considered assuming control of operations in Afghanistan from the United States, but the move has been hampered by a lack of equipment and personnel." -WTF? I've never been stationed in the ETO so am wondering just how dilapidated our NATO allies military capabilities have become. Not enough personnel? You gotta be kidding me. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-12-5 9:33:08 AM |