In an interview for the daily Financial Times Deutschland today Craddock sharply criticised NATO member states for the failure to fulfil their commitments to send more troops to Afghanistan. He also complained about the lack of money for the Afghan mission.
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British death toll in Afghanistan reaches 100 ... provided by the Czech Republic that had not been transported to Afghanistan for the lack of money. The Czech Defence Ministry said in reaction that it was providing the helicopters according to the agreed timetable. Czech Defence Ministry spokesman Jan Pejsek told CTK today that the Czech military had donated six redundant transport helicopters Mi-17 to Afghanistan. It has also pledged to donate six combat helicopters Mi-24, but it has the time for its sending to Afghanistan until the mid-2009. Pejsek stressed that the Czech Republic offered the redundant helicopters to Afghanistan as a gift. However, their upgrading and transportation to Afghanistan should be financed by the NATO Supreme Allied Command Europe headed by Craddock. Apart from donating the helicopters, the Czech military has also pledged to deploy transport helicopters M-171 in Afghanistan. Pejsek told CTK that the military would send three such helicopters there. The preparation for the mission has been complicated by the fact that several pilots refused to undergo re-training necessary to fly the helicopters that should operate in Afghanistan. However, the sending of the helicopters to Afghanistan is not threatened, Pejsek said. "The pilots and the crews who will fly to Afghanistan next year have been selected and are undergoing training," he said.
(Ceske Noviny)
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