PM Defends Easing of Restrictions on Troop Deployment
Prime Minister Janez Jansa on Tuesday defended the decision to lift restrictions on the deployment of a 600-strong battalion to the NATO-led mission in Kosovo, where Slovenian troops will have fewer "national caveats" and may be asked to use force in case of civil unrest.
Slovenia respects the decision of the November summit of NATO and reduced national caveats; it makes no sense to send a strong peacekeeping force to a hot spot and reduce its powers, Jansa told the press on Tuesday. He added that there would be even fewer restrictions in the future.
Prior to the departure of the soldiers for Kosovo last week, Defence Minister Karl Erjavec said the troops would have no special restrictions concerning action in the case of unrest, which had been the case in previous peacekeeping missions. Other restrictions remain in place.
The national caveats had come under fire by NATO, as they prevent the deployment of troops in accordance with the needs of the commanders on the ground. This is especially pressing in Afghanistan, where the restrictions, especially on the area of deployment, are said to hamper an effective clampdown on the resurgent Taliban.
The easing of the national caveats for Slovenian soldiers was met with skepticism by commentators, with dailies Delo and Dnevnik saying last week that the situation in Kosovo was likely to deteriorate as talks on the future status of the province start in earnest.
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