Defence minister to propose troop increase to Afghanistan

The Minister of Defence, Martin Barták, is submitting a proposal to the government to increase the number of Czech troops in Afghanistan by 100. The proposal comes in response to a request from US President Barack Obama and the NATO alliance. The new force would be involved in training the Afghan police and will be operating a Czech artillery radar that has not yet been used abroad. Foreign Minister Jan Kohout has said he will support the proposal, adding that the Czech Republic should meet the United States’ request. Mr Barták also said that the proposal would have to be discussed on the political stage, as the deployment of Czech troops abroad consistently provokes sharp debate in Parliament. There are currently 535 Czech soldiers on duty in Afghanistan.