Greece says NO to Submission

+ Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis stresses need for security in Afghanistan: Greece will continue contributing to the effort for the reconstruction of Afghanistan in the following way:

with a 120-strong engineering battalion, which is already there; with the additional number of Greek officers who already fill various posts on the ISAF staff; extending the stay of a 45-staff hospital unit which is stationed in Kabul airport by six months; contributing 300,000 euros in 2007 to a special UN fund for dealing with drug problems; providing 500,000 euros in economic aid to four programmes for agricultural development, water resource management, education and health; donating 10 to 13 M-60 A3 tanks to Afghan forces.

Bakoyannis noted that Greece issued high-security passports and hoped to join the (American) Visa Waiver programme, which would mean that Greek citizens would no longer be obliged to obtain visas in order to visit the United States. Source: Embassy of Greece, Washington, DC

~ ISAF - Greek forces ~

Greece had been one of the first nations to apply resolution 1386 / 2001 of the United Nations Security Council, on the establishment of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF), with the provision of the following forces and assets:

One (1) Hellenic Engineer-Peace Keeping Missions­-Company, reinforced with security and support elements. (Total strength of 116 persons, 56 vehicles and 18 Engineer Machinery – Vehicles).
One (1) C-130 Transportation Aircraft with crew (Total strength of 10 persons) for airlifts, on station in Athens since Aug. 2002.
One Mobile Field Surgical Hospital role II (229 MFSH) settled in Kabul Airport. As of: August 22nd 2005 for 18 months. (Total Greek strength of 47).
Greece undertakes the command of Kabul International Airport (KAIA), as frame work nation, from Des 05 for four-month period (Total Greek strength of 39).

Assignment of the following personnel:
- Seven (7) Embedded Staff to the ISAF HQ, Kabul.
- One (1) Air Controllers in Kabul (Airport).
- NIC (National Intelligence cell) six (6)


+ U.S. Central Command page on Greece

(thanks to GreekMilitary.net for all the photos below)