"NATO asks Czechs to run Kabul Int'l Airport independently"

Sunday, November 21, 2004

NATO asks Czechs to run Kabul International Airport independently
China - Xinhua


PRAGUE, (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) asked the
Czech Republic to independently run the Kabul International Airport for half
a year starting in October 2006, the Czech News Agency reported Sunday. 

If the Czech government approves the request, the Czech troops will start
the mission, which will ends in March 2007, the report said. 

A spokesman for the Czech Defense Ministry said earlier that their troops
had full capability to complete the task. 

The Kabul International Airport, which was badly damaged during decades of
war, has been serving as a transport corridor for the NATO-led international
peacekeeping forces. 

The airport has been under NATO's multinational leadership since April, and
the transatlantic military alliance is now considering a change that will
allow one country's independent management for half a year. 

Currently, the Czech Republic has 16 soldiers in the NATO-led international
peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan. Should it takes the airport task, it
will have more than 300 troops in the Asian country, the agency said.


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