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Hungarian Troops Are Ready to Fight the Islamic State 30106151.
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Defence & Security News - Hungaria
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| Hungarian Troops Are Ready to Fight the Islamic State | |||
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“Hungarian troops are ready to fight the Islamic State in coalition forces, and to try to put an end jointly to massacre and killing” – the Hungarian Chief of Defence Tibor Benko said on Wednesday, 28 May at a ceremony held in Pákozd to mark the Hungarian Peacekeepers’ Day.
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 Hungaria had up to 360 soldiers in Afghanistan supporting the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) (Photo: Szilárd Koszticsák (MTI)) |
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General Tibor Benko reminded his audience that the names of those soldiers who have fallen since 1897 are inscribed on the columns of the Pákozd national memorial place commemorating the peacekeepers killed in action. He said that in his opinion, we cannot forget the tasks of foreign missions in the situation today either. He emphasized that whenever peacekeepers complete their service at some place, there is another service which must be taken up elsewhere.
According to General Benko, living in peaceful coexistence is the only solution, and the Hungarian troops are meant to be available for creating this coexistence for Hungary and large national communities. He thanked every soldier for assuming these tasks and doing their best in carrying them out. The Chief of Defence pointed out that it cannot be an accident that the Heroes’ Day and the Peacekeepers’ Day are close to each other, as the soldiers who died in the First and the Second World War and those who lost their lives in carrying out peacekeeping tasks are all heroes. He added that the military community is obliged to remember those heroes who sacrificed their lives for the welfare of other nations or for protecting their comrades. In April, Hungary announced that it will send up to 150 troops to Iraq to contribute to the U.S.-led effort against Islamic State in the country. Hungarian soldiers will serve as a protection force at the Erbil training center in Northern Iraq until the end of 2017. Other protective duties were under consultation, according to the resolution, which said the U.S had “unambiguously expressed its need for alliance as to Hungary’s contribution.” It will take several months for the Hungarian military mission to be deployed, the foreign ministry said. Hungary will be the 17th country to participate in the international coalition. |
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