Czechs to send more troops to Afghanistan

Prague: The Czech Parliament has approved a government plan to increase the number of Czech troops in Afghanistan during the next two years.

The plan, approved by Parliament`s Upper House last week, won the approval of the Lower House on Wednesday in a 106-67 vote.

It allows the deployment of up to 720 service members in Afghanistan in 2011, the largest number ever, and up to 640 in 2012. That is more than the current mandate of no more than 535.

Next year, nearly 200 new service members will join the Czech soldiers who serve as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

The lower chamber also approved a plan to gradually withdraw most Czech troops from the NATO-led force in Kosovo.

Bureau Report