NATO Troops to Begin Macedonia Mission by WeekendThe main contingent of NATO's 3,500 strong force is expected to be deployed in Macedonia by the weekend, ABC reports Aug.23.The first British and French troops have already arrived in the capital Skopje. Operation essential harvest is expected to get underway early next week when most of the 3,500 NATO force will be in place and can begin their job of overseeing the disarmament of Albanian rebels. The mission will only last 30 days, but George Robertson, the NATO Secretary General, says the alliance reserves the right to reassess at any time. Lord Robertson says the troops will not be involved in anything other than weapons collection, but will not hesitate to respond it they are fired upon. He says they are allowed to defend themselves and will do so robustly, which is standard practice for any deployed force. The first problem facing the NATO force will be to determine exactly how many weapons they have to collect. While the Albanians say they just have 2,000 guns, the Macedonian Government says it is more like 8,000. |
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