http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/01/more_finnish_troops_to_afghanistan_1388030.html
Finnish Broadcasting Company January 22, 2010 More Finnish Troops to Afghanistan President Tarja Halonen and the government's committee on foreign and security policy decided on Friday to send 50 more Finnish troops to Afghanistan. The additional troops will cost Finland about 18 million euros this year and next year. The committee also discussed Finland's overall participation in helping to stabilise Afghanistan. Finland now has 121 troops in Northern Afghanistan as a part of a joint Finnish-Swedish ISAF operation based in Mazar-i-Sharif. The number will be expanded to 195. Sweden has asked Finland to take over responsibility for at least one of four provinces in the north. Finland is also preparing to participate in an EU operation to train Somali peacekeeping troops. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finnish+peacekeeping+commitment+in+Afghanistan+rising+to+195+troops/1135252327283 Helsingin Sanomat January 22, 2010 Finnish peacekeeping commitment in Afghanistan rising to 195 troops Finland has decided to send more forces to Afghanistan. The Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy, along with President Tarja Halonen, decided on Friday that Finland should increase its current deployment of about 120 soldiers by more than 50. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) said at a press conference on Friday that next year, the total troop strength would increase to about 200. To this, Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) specified that the total strength would be no more than 195. .... Finnish participation in the European Union’s police operation is to be increased, and the focus of these resources is to be on the north of Afghanistan. Also discussed at the meeting was Finnish participation in the planned EU operation for training security forces in Somalia. Finland is preparing to participate in the EU operation by sending individual military trainers to the area. The EU training is to take place outside Somalia, in Uganda, where Somali security forces are already undergoing training. The EU training operation would be part of extensive actions by the international community aimed at the stabilisation of Somalia. The EU aims at deciding on the establishment of the operation by mid-February. The aim is to train a force of 2,000 Somali soldiers. =========================== 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. ==============================
