Spanish Defense Ministry: Kosovo Pullout To Be Done In Stages

Spanish Defense Ministry: Kosovo Pullout To Be Done In Stages

(NSI News Source Info) MADRID - March 23, 2009: The withdrawal of Spanish troops from Kosovo, which has drawn U.S. criticism, will be done in a "staged" and "flexible" manner, the Spanish Defense Ministry said Sunday. Defense Minister Carme Chacon will meet North Atlantic Treaty Organization chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels this week, the ministry said, to discuss Spain's pullout from the NATO-led force in Kosovo, a decision Chacon announced Thursday. Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon (C) reviews Spanish troops at "Base Espana" in Istok The U.S. said Friday it was "deeply disappointed and surprised" by the planned withdrawal. Spanish newspapers El Pais and El Mundo said Sunday that Spain has made concessions to the U.S. on the timing of the pullout, as well as on its involvement in Afghanistan. Bernardino Leon, the top aide to Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, promised U.S. National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones that the Kosovo pullout would be done gradually and that Spain would boost its contingent in Afghanistan, the papers reported. Spain has thus far appeared reluctant to increase its military presence in Afghanistan, saying that sending more troops, as sought by Washington, "is not a solution" to resolving the country's problems. "The decision to withdraw Spanish troops from Kosovo, a territory whose independence Spain does not recognize, is firm and has been adopted by the government taking into account the operational necessities and the planning of our armed forces," the Defense Ministry statement said. "This process will take place in a staged and co-ordinated manner with our allies" and in a "flexible" way so that "the bulk of our troops are back within the time limit indicated by the ministry," it said. Unlike a number of European Union counterparts, Spain has declined to recognize Kosovo out of concern that it might set a precedent for separatists at home.

Slovenia: Armed Forces Contribution To Kosovo And Afghanistan

Slovenia: Armed Forces Contribution To Kosovo And Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) February 17, 2009: A member of the NATO KFOR Joint Enterprise for Kosovo force holds his dog during a farewell ceremony in Ljubljana's military barracks February 16, 2009.

339 members of NATO KFOR Joint Enterprise for Kosovo and 66 members of OKO ISAF for Afghanistan will start their duties at the end of February.

France To Pull 2,100 Troops From Africa

France To Pull 2,100 Troops From Africa

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS - January 30, 2009: France will withdraw 2,100 troops from Ivory Coast and Chad this year, out of a total 13,290 personnel deployed overseas, intending to save from 100 million euros to 150 million euros ($130.0 million to $196.3 million), the government said. Foreign deployments cost 857 million euros last year, up from 685 million euros in 2007, Defense Ministry figures show. French Prime Minister François Fillon told the lower house National Assembly in a Jan. 28 debate on foreign military operations that "at least 1,000" of 1,650 French soldiers deployed in the European Union Eufor contingent would be pulled out by the summer. The United Nations takes over the mandate for the multinational force deployed on the border of Congo and Chad on March 15. France was a prime mover in getting the European Union to commit troops alongside African Union forces along the Chadian border to protect refugees from the Darfur province. Reduced conflict and the prospect of elections in Ivory Coast meant France could pull some troops out of the West African country, Fillon said. Defense Minister Hervé Morin said in an interview with daily newspaper France Soir on Jan. 28, "The idea in 2009 is to move toward a 20 percent reduction. We could cut numbers from 13,000 to 10,000," he said. Lower numbers abroad could save from 100 million euros to 150 million euros a year, he said. Troop strength in Afghanistan would be maintained, and Morin ruled out a force increase as requested by U.S. President Barack Obama. "This subject is not up for debate," Morin said. "There is no plan to send new French troops to Afghanistan." Other withdrawals could come from Bosnia and Kosovo, he said. The white paper on defense and national security set out the guidelines for foreign intervention, including: * Seriousness of threat to national security or international peace and security. * Consideration of other measures. * Respect for international rule of law. * Sovereign appreciation by French political authorities, freedom of action and capacity to assess the situation at all times. * Democratic legitimacy, implying transparency of goals and support of the nation, as expressed by parliament. * Capacity to commit French troops at a sufficient level, national control and a political strategy seeking a lasting settlement of the crisis. * Definition of the commitment in space and time, with a precise evaluation of cost. Because the deployments are not fully funded by the general budget, money has traditionally been used from the equipment investment account.