Colombia Army to Send Forces to Afghanistan Through NATO

Colombia’s military is ready to assert itself on the world stage by sending troops to Afghanistan to assist NATO and UN peacekeeping missions. El Colombiano reported Sunday that National Army Commander General Alberto Jose Mejia said, “We have been offered by NATO to participate in a deployment in Afghanistan … there are opportunities for first-line combat, training and capacity-building missions.” The general aims to deploy 5,000 troops at the service of the UN and NATO, possibly joining the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) active in Afghanistan. President Juan Manuel Santos is set to present a proposal before the UN General Assembly in September, requesting that Colombian security forces be sent to Afghanistan, and other regions of the world.