An advance party of the 16-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to be deployed in Afghanistan is scheduled for departure early Monday, a German armed forces spokesman said today.
Colonel Karl-Henning Kroeger said the party, including five German officers, would leave from a British base on New Year’s Eve.
The contingent will fly out aboard an Airbus from a military base near London, stopping over at a British base in the Gulf.
A second transport aircraft will fly out vehicles for use by the party in Afghanistan.
Col Kroeger ruled out the likelihood of the international security force being deployed anywhere other than the Kabul region.
"The UN mandate is specifically limited to Kabul and surroundings," he recalled.
Afghanistan's new minister of reconstruction, Mr Mohammed Amin Farhang, suggested on German television yesterday UN troops should also be deployed in other Afghan towns.
A source close to Afghanistan's defence ministry was also quoted as saying a later ISAF contingent was expected to go to the southern city of Kandahar, the former Taliban stronghold. British officials denied this.
Britain's defence ministry said late yesterday after a third round of preparatory talks military officials had not yet finalised the shape of the promised Afghan security force but hoped to announce final details early in the coming week.
AFP