Spanish troops for west Afghanistan 28.01.2005 Nato is set to expand its mission in Afghanistan, following a Spanish decision to break an impasse within the 26-nation alliance by committing troops to the west of the country. Madrid's move, which has yet to be formally announced, may diminish tensions with the US, which flared up last year after the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero withdrew Spanish forces from Iraq. It also paves the way for Nato to take much greater responsibility for the country as a whole. "This is obviously going to have an effect in Afghanistan," said a senior Spanish diplomat. "I hope that it's also going to have a substantial effect on relations with the US." The decision follows Nato's failure in December to provide sufficient forces to carry out the second phase of its stabilisation mission in Afghanistan. Spain and Lithuania have now both come forward to provide forces for two separate provincial reconstruction teams in the west of the country, while the US has made it clear that it will transfer command of two teams of its own in the area to Nato. Italy will also assist the effort. Spain will be moving almost all of 540 soldiers, currently in the relative security of Kabul. About half the Spanish soldiers will set up a reconstruction team, eventually with assistance from non-governmental organisations. The other half will man a forward support base to protect all four reconstruction teams in the area. The alliance has to date established five provincial reconstruction teams in the north of the country and hopes to follow up with expansion to the south of the country. The UK and Canada are standing by for this phase. << | >> |
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