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Afghanistan
U.S. accepts Serb offer of troops for Afghanistan
2003-10-05
Follow-up to past stories; registration required for the link.
The United States has accepted an offer by Serbia and Montenegro to send as many as 1,000 combat soldiers and police to Afghanistan to work with U.S. forces. The Serb-Montenegrin force, which will have to be trained to function under U.S. command, will be based in the Kandahar region near the Pakistan border, the officials said. The troops are expected to be ready by March. Afghan officials have not reacted to the plan.
I'll bet their so happy!
The deployment raises the question of whether it will include Serb troops or officers who may have been involved in atrocities against Muslims during the war in Bosnia or the more recent war in Kosovo. The U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for overseeing foreign military participation in Afghanistan, swiftly approved the proposal but told the Serbs that the United States wanted infantry troops rather than lightly armed peacekeepers.
They do have to weed out the Serbs who committed atrocities in the Balkans. I’m not sure that will leave the Serbs with a company.
Posted by:Steve White

#8  Well, we know Saudi "charities" have been active in Bosnia. We got a list of the "golden chain" from one of those places. Albania/Kosovo has been a target of al Qaeda maggots, just as weak places like Somalia and Indonesia are attractive to Qaeda, for training purposes and whatnot.

So again, what is the quid pro quo?
Posted by: Pete Stanley   2003-10-5 10:49:17 PM  

#7  
y first thoughts on hearing this were, Serbs..Muslims...WTF. Maybe the Serbian Army has changed, I certainly hope so.
Posted by: Cheddarhead   2003-10-5 7:02:23 PM  

#6  I sure hope that we have thought this thing through and played the devil's advocate in this plan. We do not need any unnecessary side shows right now. We need to make good on our course, so to speak.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-10-5 1:26:42 PM  

#5  gotta agree - they gain nothing by sending goons and killers to a country in which there are so many others that would expose any mistreatment of civilians or others. I think this is a good faith effort to turn a corner, and applaud it. Now, get the Serbs and Bosnians to give up Radovan and Ratko and they'll be doing even better
Posted by: Frank G   2003-10-5 11:51:53 AM  

#4  I don't know what the turnover has been like in the Serbian army, but it's been long enough that a fair portion should be new enlistees.
I'm also not sure this rises to the level of quid pro quo. It seems to me that the Serbs stand to gain a lot by contributing troops in terms of appearances within Europe. With this, they are effectively completing their transition from 'bad guys' to 'good guys'.
Posted by: Dishman   2003-10-5 10:56:11 AM  

#3  i would say that the serbs are asking for nothing more than to be in good relations with the us.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-10-5 10:18:49 AM  

#2  Good question,Pete.
Posted by: Raptor   2003-10-5 6:52:05 AM  

#1  I would sure like to know what the quid pro quo was on this one.
Posted by: Pete Stanley   2003-10-5 1:48:42 AM  

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