JiiVee
06-13-2010, 05:16 PM
Stubb in Afghanistan: Situation Increasingly Difficult
The increase in unrest in Afghanistan can also be felt at the base of operations of Finnish crisis management forces in the north of the country. During a visit to the Finns in Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb said that he expects the situation in Afghanistan to grow more difficult in the coming year.
Foreign Minister Stubb’s visit to the base was not postponed even though the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. On Wednesday this week, Finnish crisis management forces were fired on.
“It is clear that it is less secure in Afghanistan than it was last year or the preceding year, and the direction is not the right one,” Stubb said in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Stubb added that there is an overall feeling of security at the base, but the trip from the airport to the base, the situation was quite different.
“Although we were wearing bulletproof vests and helmets in the Pasi [armoured personnel carriers], there was a feeling of tension,” Stubb added.
The Finns are part of the NATO-led ISAF operation in the north of Afghanistan involving a total of 5,000 soldiers from different countries. The number of clashes has doubled from last year.
Dangers Need to Be Acknowledged
On Wednesday, a group of Finns were fired on when they stopped to help Swedish crisis management soldiers get their stuck vehicle on the move again. There were no casualties or injuries, but the vehicle was lost. The commander of the Finnish forces, Lieutenant-Colonel Ari Grönroos, said that the incident on Wednesday did not add to the feeling of insecurity.
The higher risks and the increase in Finnish forces has been felt in the cost of the operation as well. In 2008 Finnish expenditure was about 15 million euros, but next year the costs could exceed 40 million.
Stubb spent Thursday night at the peacekeepers’ camp in Mazar-i-Sharif. On Friday morning he continued to Armenia.
YLE
http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/06/stubb_in_afghanistan_situation_increasingly_diffic ult_1752772.html
The increase in unrest in Afghanistan can also be felt at the base of operations of Finnish crisis management forces in the north of the country. During a visit to the Finns in Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb said that he expects the situation in Afghanistan to grow more difficult in the coming year.
Foreign Minister Stubb’s visit to the base was not postponed even though the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. On Wednesday this week, Finnish crisis management forces were fired on.
“It is clear that it is less secure in Afghanistan than it was last year or the preceding year, and the direction is not the right one,” Stubb said in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Stubb added that there is an overall feeling of security at the base, but the trip from the airport to the base, the situation was quite different.
“Although we were wearing bulletproof vests and helmets in the Pasi [armoured personnel carriers], there was a feeling of tension,” Stubb added.
The Finns are part of the NATO-led ISAF operation in the north of Afghanistan involving a total of 5,000 soldiers from different countries. The number of clashes has doubled from last year.
Dangers Need to Be Acknowledged
On Wednesday, a group of Finns were fired on when they stopped to help Swedish crisis management soldiers get their stuck vehicle on the move again. There were no casualties or injuries, but the vehicle was lost. The commander of the Finnish forces, Lieutenant-Colonel Ari Grönroos, said that the incident on Wednesday did not add to the feeling of insecurity.
The higher risks and the increase in Finnish forces has been felt in the cost of the operation as well. In 2008 Finnish expenditure was about 15 million euros, but next year the costs could exceed 40 million.
Stubb spent Thursday night at the peacekeepers’ camp in Mazar-i-Sharif. On Friday morning he continued to Armenia.
YLE
http://yle.fi/uutiset/news/2010/06/stubb_in_afghanistan_situation_increasingly_diffic ult_1752772.html