Czech forces pack up and head home
New York Times via Sydney Morning Herald | 24.01.2003 18:03
Military experts greeted the news with amazement.
"It's certainly a unique approach [to troop morale]," said Ian Kemp, news editor of Jane's Defence Weekly in London.
"It's certainly a unique approach [to troop morale]," said Ian Kemp, news editor of Jane's Defence Weekly in London.
Czech forces pack up and head home
January 23 2003
Prague: When the Czech Defence Minister visited his country's troops engaged in chemical warfare defence exercises in Kuwait he made an unusual offer. With an American-led invasion of Iraq appearing increasingly likely, Jaroslav Tvrdik, a former career officer, said that any soldiers who did not want to go to war could return home with him.
Seven soldiers threw their packs aboard the ministerial jet and flew back to Prague on Monday. Another 20 soldiers from the 250-member Czech unit, stationed with US troops at Camp Doha, about 95 kilometres from the Iraqi border, are expected to return in the next few days, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.
The Czech troops had been in the Gulf region for five months of what was to have been a six-month assignment. But Mr Tvrdik said the deployment would be extended by at least three months after February.
A ministry spokesman, Colonel Viliam Palan, described the offer as "standard". But not everyone saw it that way.
"Czech soldiers crumble, head for home," said the newspaper Lidove Noviny on Tuesday.
"The threat of war with neighbouring Iraq and the imminent danger that weapons of mass destruction could be used has put a great deal of pressure on people," the unit's commander, Colonel Jan Weiser, told the newspaper.
Colonel Palan said the army had volunteers ready to take the place of the departing soldiers.
Military experts greeted the news with amazement.
"It's certainly a unique approach [to troop morale]," said Ian Kemp, news editor of Jane's Defence Weekly in London.
However, the centre-left government last week had difficulty marshalling the votes to approve a US request to send 150 extra chemical weapons experts and support troops to the Gulf.
During a heated debate in parliament, Mr Tvrdik said his family had been threatened by organised crime groups linked to Iraqi arms procurers.
Fellow ministers said they knew of no such threats.
The New York Times
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/22/1042911438485.html
January 23 2003
Prague: When the Czech Defence Minister visited his country's troops engaged in chemical warfare defence exercises in Kuwait he made an unusual offer. With an American-led invasion of Iraq appearing increasingly likely, Jaroslav Tvrdik, a former career officer, said that any soldiers who did not want to go to war could return home with him.
Seven soldiers threw their packs aboard the ministerial jet and flew back to Prague on Monday. Another 20 soldiers from the 250-member Czech unit, stationed with US troops at Camp Doha, about 95 kilometres from the Iraqi border, are expected to return in the next few days, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.
The Czech troops had been in the Gulf region for five months of what was to have been a six-month assignment. But Mr Tvrdik said the deployment would be extended by at least three months after February.
A ministry spokesman, Colonel Viliam Palan, described the offer as "standard". But not everyone saw it that way.
"Czech soldiers crumble, head for home," said the newspaper Lidove Noviny on Tuesday.
"The threat of war with neighbouring Iraq and the imminent danger that weapons of mass destruction could be used has put a great deal of pressure on people," the unit's commander, Colonel Jan Weiser, told the newspaper.
Colonel Palan said the army had volunteers ready to take the place of the departing soldiers.
Military experts greeted the news with amazement.
"It's certainly a unique approach [to troop morale]," said Ian Kemp, news editor of Jane's Defence Weekly in London.
However, the centre-left government last week had difficulty marshalling the votes to approve a US request to send 150 extra chemical weapons experts and support troops to the Gulf.
During a heated debate in parliament, Mr Tvrdik said his family had been threatened by organised crime groups linked to Iraqi arms procurers.
Fellow ministers said they knew of no such threats.
The New York Times
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/22/1042911438485.html
New York Times via Sydney Morning Herald
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