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  • Kosovo

    originly posted by Kermit in News, I belive it's suitable for discussion, so........



    Troops to stay part of Kosovo peace mission

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    IRISH peacekeeping troops are likely to be in the Balkans for "the foreseeable future".

    Kosovo is set to continue to be Ireland's second biggest peace mission after Liberia.

    The news emerged as Defence Minister Willie O'Dea today embarks on a three-day trip to Kosovo.

    Kosovo riot police clashed with hundreds of activists outside the UN headquarters in Pristina on Friday.

    Mr O'Dea is due to visit the UN HQ tomorrow where he will pay a courtesy call on Soren Jessen-Petersen, the head of UNMIK and the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in the province.

    Protesters laid siege to the UNMIK building, barricading roads and blocking access for 36 hours. The scale of the protest has caused problems for the organisers of the minister's visit, with security advisers reassessing his visit to the UNMIK HQ.

    A spokesperson for the Minister said: "The situation is still quite fluid. A decision will probably be made late today."

    More than 200 Irish soldiers serve alongside Finnish, Swedish, Slovak, Latvian and Czech troops in the peacekeeping force. Mr O'Dea will visit Irish troops of the 32nd Infantry Group, drawn mainly from the Western Command, who are on a six month tour of duty.

    The Defence Forces are likely to be in the Balkans for "the foreseeable future", sources said.

    The Irish are full-time professional soldiers, while most of the 500 Finnish troops serving with them are reservists.

    Michael Lavery
    Irish Independent 12/06/06
    "We will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could do with some whiskey"
    Radio transmission, siege of Jadotville DR Congo. September 1961.
    Illegitimi non carborundum

  • #2
    Originally posted by Turkey
    The Irish are full-time professional soldiers, while most of the 500 Finnish troops serving with them are reservists.
    A bagger under any other flag..........

    Comment


    • #3
      Headline for An Cosantoir - "Irish PDF under Finnish Bagger operational command"

      Serious though the riots were by Kosovar Albanian who want UNMIK & KFOR withdrawn.

      Comment


      • #4
        Were taking over the running of the op out there AFAIK

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by DeV
          Headline for An Cosantoir - "Irish PDF under Finnish Bagger operational command"

          Serious though the riots were by Kosovar Albanian who want UNMIK & KFOR withdrawn.
          AFAIK its an Irish Lt-col who is O/C of the Irish/Finninsh company..

          Comment


          • #6
            The coy comdr is a comdt, the Bn CO is a Finnish Lt Col.

            Comment


            • #7
              As has already been said elsewhere, the Finns have not garnered many friends or admirers amongst the Irish who have served with them thus far.
              "Look good, do good."
              "My arse."

              Comment


              • #8
                Finnish Troops

                Having worked very closely with the Finns in the last year, I have to say I found them very professional and very good to work with, and best of all they can have the crack, but when it comes to work they are workaholics, which is not a bad thing. Their organisation is mixed with full time soldiers and reservists. Their Officer ranks are all full time, with a full Colonel in charge. They are supplied with the best of equipment and have a great welfare backup for the troops. Basically Finnish troops want for nothing while serving overseas. Mind you their tour of duty is 12 months. All said I would serve anywhere on any mission because the first thing they set up is a Finnish Sauna
                Glaine ár gcroí
                Neart ár ngéag
                Agus beart de réir ár mbriathar

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Fianóglach
                  Having worked very closely with the Finns in the last year, I have to say I found them very professional and very good to work with, and best of all they can have the crack, but when it comes to work they are workaholics, which is not a bad thing. Their organisation is mixed with full time soldiers and reservists. Their Officer ranks are all full time, with a full Colonel in charge. They are supplied with the best of equipment and have a great welfare backup for the troops. Basically Finnish troops want for nothing while serving overseas. Mind you their tour of duty is 12 months. All said I would serve anywhere on any mission because the first thing they set up is a Finnish Sauna
                  I remember in the leb while training for the infantry run,we went up to Finnbatt to train..,on every post they had a sauna and a fridge full of beer,!!..any time they wanted a beer(of duty of course)all they had to do was sign a sheet on the outside of the fridge and take one.

                  We had to laugh because we TRIED to imagine that working in IrishBatt!!
                  heinekin House,FinnBatt
                  Last edited by Craghopper; 19 June 2006, 10:52.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    While Irish troops currently in KFOR are part of the Finnish/Irish Battle Group (Finnish led) which is part of Multi-National Taskforce Centre (Czech led).

                    Discussions are currently underway regarding Ireland’s possible enhanced future role beyond 2007, which could see Ireland becoming the Framework (lead) Nation for the KFOR mission.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Minister's speech yesterday at PDFORRA Conference

                      The Government agreed last week that Ireland would assume the framework nation role for the Task Force Centre in August next. This will be a new development for the Defence Forces as we have never before commanded a brigade size force in multinational, PfP-led peace support operation. It will contribute significantly to the development of the Defence Forces, heightening our capabilities and our profile as a professional and well-organised force within the international peacekeeping community.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        From the COS's speech to the PDFORRA ADC:


                        The Defence Forces has contributed to KFOR since August 1999 initially with a Transport Company and more recently with an Infantry Group. This Infantry Group is part of Multinational Task Force (Centre) which comprises personnel from Sweden, Finland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Latvia. The Czech Republic is the current Framework Nation for Multinational Task Force Centre.

                        Ireland for the first time will take on the role of Framework Nation on the 1st of August 2007 for a 12-month period. The Framework Nation assumes responsibility for the co-ordination and control of the Task Force Headquarters, and is obliged to provide assets and capabilities to support the Headquarters. The Defence Forces will provide the commander of the Task Force.

                        This represents a significant development for us. For the first time an Irish Officer will be in command and control of a Multinational Brigade sized force in a NATO/PfP led Peace Support Operation. In addition it will provide opportunities for our NCO’s and soldiers to participate in a multinational environment that demands the highest levels of professionalism.

                        Our leadership of the Task Force comes at a critical time for Kosovo. Very soon decisions will have to be taken on the final status of Kosovo and of course it will hardly be possible to please all concerned. In going forward it will be critical that KFOR provides the stability and reassurance necessary and I am confident that the Irish Leadership of Multi National Task Force (Centre) will contribute significantly.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Irish_army01 View Post
                          AFAIK its an Irish Lt-col who is O/C of the Irish/Finninsh company..

                          The Irish Lt-Col is not OC IRL FIN BG!!!

                          The SIO is AFAIK in some posn in Film City!
                          WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to ring them at 4am!!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Irish Independent Tuesday 18th March
                            Violent clashes mar Irish soldiers' festivities

                            By Declan Power
                            Tuesday March 18 2008


                            Irish troops had their St Patrick's Day festivities interrupted yesterday when violence erupted in the northern region of Kosovo.


                            UN police officers had to be pulled out of the region after violent clashes with Serbs protesting the recent declaration of Kosovan independence.

                            The UN police had been in the process of evicting a Serb mob who had recently taken over a courthouse near Mitrovica on the Kosovan side of the new border with Serbia.

                            General Gerry Hegarty, a brigade commander in central Kosovo, said KFOR troops from the French-led brigade had to be deployed after the UN police were attacked by the crowd using hand-grenades.

                            A KFOR officer said a number of police officers had been seriously injured from the blasts and one may have lost a limb.

                            In a further escalation of tension, shots were then fired in the vicinity of the KFOR troops. KFOR sources said this was the greatest escalation of tension since the riots of 2004 when up to 19 Serbs were killed.

                            Over 260 Irish soldiers are based in central Kosovo at two bases, Camp Ville and Camp Clarke, in Lipljan near Pristina. The troops are part of a Irish-led multi-national brigade currently commanded by Brigadier Gerry Hegarty.

                            Following the attacks on the UN police and KFOR troops, a concert and meal planned for last night in Camp Clarke was abruptly cancelled and Irish troops were deployed on to the roads and towns around central Kosovo.

                            Vulnerable

                            An Irish KFOR spokesman explained: "Anything that happens in the north of Kosovo can have a major impact down here as there are a minority of Serbs living in the Pristina region who are very vulnerable to attack and rely on us to protect them".

                            To add to yesterday's tension there was a visit from a Serbian government minister to a Serb town in the Irish sector called Granacia. Brigadier General Hegarty described it as "a place of huge significance to the Serb population in Kosovo and very important religious site".

                            A recent suspension of members of Serbian members of the Kosovan Police Service has added to the tensions caused by the Mitrovica outbreak of violence.

                            - Declan Power
                            Last edited by B Inman; 18 March 2008, 08:24.

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                            • #15
                              Why does it always kick off on Paddys day?
                              To close with and kill the enemy in all weather conditions, night and day and over any terrain

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