NATO to scale down Kosovo force

[tocqueville]

Source: AP

NATO to scale down Kosovo force

By SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press Writer Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press Writer – 11 mins ago

BRUSSELS – NATO's peacekeeping force in Kosovo will be cut by a third in keeping with the improving security situation in that newly independent nation, the alliance said Thursday.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance's defense ministers decided at their annual meeting that the 14,000-member force in Kosovo — known as KFOR — will gradually be drawn down to 10,000.

Besides Kosovo, the naval anti-piracy mission off Somalia's coastline also figured prominently on the agenda of the first day of the two-day meeting, de Hoop Scheffer said.

NATO has been gradually decreasing its military contingent in Kosovo ever since the brief war with Serbia 10 years ago when it deployed 50,000 troops to the province. Kosovo declared independence last year despite strong opposition from Belgrade, which still regards the territory as a Serbian province.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090611/ap_on_re_eu/eu_nato_defense_ministers