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Bulgarian president criticises lack of vision for Iraq, Afghanistan
Sofia (AFP) Jan 16, 2009 Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov, whose country was a staunch US ally in Iraq and is still part of NATO's forces in Afghanistan, on Friday criticised the lack of vision for the post-war development of the two countries. "The developments in Iraq and also Afghanistan showed that winning the war is not enough for total victory. We also have to win the peace," Parvanov said in his annual lecture on national security. "And those who sound military attack do not show the necessary degree of readiness to also think about the post-war development of the countries in question," he added. After five years in the US-led coalition in Iraq, Bulgaria withdrew its last contingent in December 2008. The country meanwhile boosted to 470 the number of its troops in NATO's ISAF force in Afghanistan. "Now that we have withdrawn from Iraq but are still strengthening our position in Afghanistan, it is important to tell our allies that it is wrong to introduce a Western model of democracy in these countries without taking into account local traditions, national and regional peculiarities," the leader noted. He added: "Bulgarian troops will keep taking part in military missions abroad... as a stable, trustworthy and predictable partner. But not naive." The president's role is largely that of a figurehead but is also the supreme commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces. Related Links News From Across The Stans
'Insurgents' kidnap, hang Afghan working for NATO: force
Kabul (AFP) Jan 15, 2009An Afghan working for NATO-led troops in eastern Afghanistan was abducted and found shot and hanging from a tree three days later, the force said Thursday, blaming the murder on insurgents. |
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