TALLINN, Estonia (AFP)--Estonia could double its contingent in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan to nearly 300 troops ahead of the August elections there, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
A bill drafted by the ministry and submitted to parliament requests the temporary deployment of an additional 140 troops to help Afghan police and armed forces provide security during the August 20 regional and presidential elections.
Currently, 150 Estonian soldiers are serving in Afghanistan. The fresh troops would be located in Helmand Province in the south of the country.
Estonia signalled it was ready to send additional forces to Afghanistan at this month's NATO summit in Strasbourg.
(
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/sto... )
