The Spanish Defense Minister, Jose Antonio Alonso said today that Spain will continue its support of the UN security forces currently in Afghanistan. He announced that he had confirmed authorization from Congress for 52 more Spanish troops to be sent to Afghanistan. This comes but a day after two Spanish soldiers, Stanley Mera and German Perez, were killed by an explosive detonated by the Taliban. Defense Minister Alonso said that Spain is in Afghanistan in order to resolve the “equation: security for re-construction” and admitted that the risk troops face is great. Afghani warlords, Taliban, and narco-trafficking all conspire to produce a country that is “unstable and insecure”.
The Spanish troops will help to form two Afghan army battalions at a base some 15 kilometers from Spain’s base at Heart at a cost of 200,000 euros monthly. Reforming the Afghan army, said Alonso, is a “key issue” for the international community. For his part, Gaspar Llamizares of the United Left bloc voted in the Congressional Defense committee against sending more troops to Afghanistan. Llamizares that this is a “gesture” towards the United States on the part of Spain’s ruling Socialist party in the midst of a “deterioration of the situation and an ever-growing commitment in combat missions”.
Spain is also otherwise involved in peacekeeping missions. Spain will oversee multi-national peace operations next year in Kosovo, while it is also involved with Lebanon. Spain also sent combat troops into Iraq in the early stages of the Iraq War where they were combined with ground forces from El Salvador.
Martin Barillas is a former US diplomat, who also worked as a democracy advocate and election observer in Latin America.
RSS