Russia offers aid but no troops to NATO in Afghanistan

[Mike Baker]

Russia is willing to help NATO with reconstruction and intelligence work in Afghanistan but has no plans to contribute troops, its defence minister said Friday.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, who was attending an informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Seville, Spain, said Russia wants to see the NATO's International Security Assistance Force succeed in Afghanistan.

The coalition of about 35,000 troops from 37 countries — including more than 2,000 from Canada — have been trying to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban government in 2001.

"Russia has the most vital, visceral interest in ensuring that the International Security Assistance Force makes a success of stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan," Ivanov was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"Clearly we are never going to be able to send our troops into Afghanistan," he said.

The Russian psyche still bears the scars of the Soviet Union's disastrous incursion in Afghanistan. The Soviets invaded and occupied Afghanistan in 1979 to prop up a communist government and to suppress a growing Islamic fundamentalist movement that Moscow feared would spread to southern Soviet republics.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/02/09/russia-afghanistan.html

 

[Jarnhamar]

Good.
Atleast their not like certain other countries who's soldiers seem to do nothing but stay inside the wire and take as much food from the kitchen as they can fit in their pockets.

 

[Kilo_302]

I think they enough of a "legacy" in Afghanistan as it is. I sure they could help out a lot, but politically Putin couldn't afford to send troops there, and I'm sure the Afghan people might have some issues with it as well. At least the Afghan politicians would...

 

[Edward Campbell]

And the fox offers to help with reconstruction and intelligence in the henhouse ... having "a vital, viceral interest" in it.

 

[2 Cdo]

I think they enough of a "legacy" in Afghanistan as it is. I sure they could help out a lot, but politically Putin couldn't afford to send troops there, and I'm sure the Afghan people might have some issues with it as well. At least the Afghan politicians would...

Agreed 100%! I honestly could not see the Russians being greeted as saviours.

 

[rmacqueen]

IMHO, actual Russian boots on the ground would do more harm than good and would only help to reinforce the Taliban message of NATO being invaders.  Financial aid, on the other hand...

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

Russian troops on the ground there would be the worse thing for everyone all way around,  back home the people would think the war was back on and protest, on the ground the people in Afghanistn would revolt, after all they started the trouble there or were a major part in creating the problems they now face.

It would be like the US sending troops back to Nam, not good all way, same problems and social issues would come up if there was a need for troops to be sent there.
Send a Russian Credit Card and just help that way.

 

[MikeM]

Good.
Atleast their not like certain other countries who's soldiers seem to do nothing but stay inside the wire and take as much food from the kitchen as they can fit in their pockets.

+1

From my discussion with the locals throughout my deployment, having Russian boots on the ground would be a real big piss off to them, they HATE the Russians.

 

[3rd Herd]

Given the average Soviet soldiers experience the first time around and now that Russia is somewhat a democracy with a somewhat elected leader this is a no go. Putain likes the trappings of office. In the first go-round the average Russian soldier was just about inventive as his US counterpart in coming up with reasons to avoid government sponsored trips to Asian countries in the name of peace, prosparity and good will.