Finland increases troop levels in Afghanistan

The troops would be deployed around the city of Mazar-e-Sharif where the other Finnish troops are situated. The supplemental peacekeepers to leave for Afghanistan some time around mid-2009 would serve to safeguard the country’s presidential election.


The numbers of the additional troops could be more than 100, or at least several dozens of soldiers. This would mean that Finland could temporarily double its participation in the NATO-led ISAF peacekeeping operation. At the present time, a total of 80 Finnish peacekeepers are taking part in the ISAF operation, while about 20 are involved in support operations.


The supplementary troops would stay in Afghanistan for at least four months. With the planned increase in its forces in Afghanistan, Finland would have a minimum of 150 crisis management troops in the area next year.


President Tarja Halonen and the cabinet’s Committee for Foreign and Security Policy determined already in mid-November that more troops would be sent to Afghanistan for the presidential elections, but the number of troops has not yet been decided.

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