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Afghanistan
Spain: Funding for new Afghan unit to fight Taliban
2008-07-09
(AKI) - Spain is to spend 22 million euros in the next two years for the creation of an Afghan battalion to fight the Taliban. The Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday the batallion would consist of 600 soldiers and would be based in Badghis province in northwest Afghanistan.
That's a little .. um .. far away from the Talibunnies, isn't it?
In a statement said it said funding would also be provided for housing, uniforms, vehicles and weaponry in the area of Qal-I-Naw in the province. The troops are expected to provide a permanent base for the Afghan army in the province and will be based with the Spanish provincial reconstruction team.

The ministry said through this programme Spain intends to leave the fight against the Taliban to Afghans. Under a mandate issued by the Spanish Parliament, Spanish forces are not authorised to take part in the fight against the Taliban insurgency in the south and east of Afghanistan.

Spain is currently the tenth largest contingent in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force or ISAF, with 778 soldiers, according to the Defence Ministry website.

ISAF currently has 53,000 troops from 40 countries in Afghanistan, NATO's largest ground operation outside Europe.

Spain was one of the main supporters of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by US forces. It ran away withdrew its troops following the 11 March 2004 bombings at several Madrid railway stations that killed 191 people. The Madrid bombings were perpetrated by a loose group of Al-Qaeda-inspired Muslim militants, allegedly in response to the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq.
Posted by:Fred

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