Kuwait has offered to pay for all of the 250 troops of the Czech chemical warfare unit to remain in the emirate for another year, potentially expanding current plans for only 50 Czech soldiers to stay, Ceske Noviny reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 22).

Czech officials are aware of the Kuwaiti offer to keep the entire contingent in place but they have not indicated whether they plan to accept the proposal.  The soldiers, who have been stationed in Kuwait since March, are trained to protect other forces from weapons of mass destruction (see GSN, April 30).

“Kuwait has offered the possibility of fully financing the unit,” Czech Defense Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik said.

To save money, Czech officials originally intended to repatriate 200 of the soldiers with the possibility of returning them to Kuwait on 48-hour notice.  Kuwait is considering purchasing the troops’ equipment and training its own specialists, Ceske Noviny reported (Ceske Noviny, Nov. 12).

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