KABUL, Afghanistan, May 25 (UPI) -- Since 2003 the Czech Republic has deployed troops in Afghanistan in NATO's International Security Assistance Force providing humanitarian assistance.
CTK reported on May 23 that Czech peacekeepers have twice recently been attacked. No injuries were reported.
In one attack militants assaulted Czech soldiers patrolling Faizabad, damaging their vehicle. Other guerrillas set off an improvised explosive device near patrolling Czech troops, damaging their armored personnel carrier.
There are currently about 40 Czech soldiers deployed in northern Afghanistan serving alongside German and Danish troops. An additional 20 Czech soldiers are currently posted to Kabul airport involved in de-mining the facility.
The issue of Czech deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan is straining U.S.-Czech relations. The Czech Republic joined the European Union in May 2004. Last week the U.S. Senate approved an addendum to the immigration law that temporarily abolishes visa requirements for the EU member states that provide the U.S. with military assistance in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan by sending units of at least 300 soldiers. While Poland meets these conditions, the Czech Republic does not since it has smaller units in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The U.S. House of Representatives has yet to debate the bill.
Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said that if the Bush administration abolished visas for Polish citizens, Prague would also request that the U.S. Congress abolish visas for Czechs.
