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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Punching above their weight: Colombia Ready to Send Troops to Afghanistan |
| 2010-02-14 |
| Colombia is ready to contribute troops to the NATO-led security force in Afghanistan, the Andean nation's defense minister said. “We have negotiations underway with the Afghanistan government to guarantee the immunity of our soldiers, an immunity equivalent to that enjoyed by soldiers from other countries participating in the anti-terrorist effort in Afghanistan,' Gabriel Silva told reporters in the U.S. capital. “That is the only obstacle still pending,' Silva said as he was leaving a meeting with Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) during his week-long state visit to Washington. The minister offered no details about how many Colombian soldiers would be sent to Afghanistan or when they would go, though he did say they would take part in tasks related “clearing minefields, humanitarian aid, training special forces and fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan.' Silva said that Colombia has in force more than 150 collaboration pacts in the fields of security and defense, and is also taking part in a number of international forums to do with humanitarian aid and development, as is the case with earthquake-stricken Haiti. He said that “the responsibility of collaborating with other countries is inherent to being part of the international community,' and if Colombia “wants to receive support, solidarity and cooperation, it has to give them as well.' The deployment of Colombian troops, he said, will be done at “the first window of opportunity that comes up' after the international judicial and logistical matters are settled. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #5 And so do those whose opinion matters, Barbara. Perhaps in the future countries like Columbia will send their SF teams to work alongside Israel for the same reason they now go to Afghanistan. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-02-14 18:23 |
| #4 "countries whose special forces are good go to see exactly how good they are, compared to the best. Only Israel doesn't" No need for Israel to, tw. They already know exactly how good they are. :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-02-14 14:44 |
| #3 Maybe above their weight in numbers, but, I think they're trying to move up in skills. Above their weight in participating on the other side of the world, with the big boys. And of course their trying to improve their skills -- from what I've heard, Afghanistan is where those countries whose special forces are good go to see exactly how good they are, compared to the best. Only Israel doesn't, because they wouldn't be welcome and because they've got other things to do...like track down and wipe out Iranian weapons convoys in Sudan. (Or was it Somalia?) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-02-14 13:38 |
| #2 It also sends a quiet signal to Morales. |
| Posted by: lotp 2010-02-14 11:06 |
| #1 Advanced training for their troops? High mountains, guerilla type fighting? Sounds like Colombia to me. Maybe above their weight in numbers, but, I think they're trying to move up in skills. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2010-02-14 09:51 |