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  Slovak Leaders Visit Troops in Afghanistan By Spc. Kelly Hunt, USASpecial to American Forces Press ServiceBAGRAM, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2004 – Slovakian troops here received the best wishes of their countrymen Jan. 23, as the country's prime minister and defense minister visited to offer them encouragement in their mission for freedom. Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda of Slovakia shakes the hand of Slovak 2nd Lt. Fejercak Lubumir, operational officer, as Defense Minister Juraj Líška is saluted by Slovak Lt. Col. Truska Jan during the leaders' Jan. 23 visit to their country's troops at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Photo by...

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- Slovakia plans to deploy some 30 more soldiers to Iraq to ensure safety of the country's military engineering unit already in place, Defense Minister Juraj Liska told reporters Tuesday. Slovakia, a central European country of 5.4 million, deployed a unit of 82 military engineers to Iraq in summer. The unit is there as a part of international troops under Polish command and concentrates on de-mining work. Liska said the new unit could be deployed to Iraq in February. The decision still requires approval from the government and the Slovak parliament. Brig. Gen. Pavol Gajdos, who visited the...

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, Feb 26, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- The first part a Slovak anti-chemical warfare unit bound for the Gulf region left Wednesday, the state-run news agency TASR reported. The complete unit of 69 soldiers is due to be assembled in the Gulf by the weekend. The Slovaks will join up in Kuwait with a similar unit from the neighboring Czech Republic. The anti-chemical unit will focus on humanitarian and cleanup work in the event that weapons of mass destruction are used in any war with Iraq. The Slovaks' status, however, could be changed to combat if the...