April 6, 2009
Estonia emerges from Soviet rule to fight in Afghanistan

Over the weekend, NATO allies decided to contribute 5,000 additional short-term troops to the war effort in Afghanistan, some to help provide security for the country’s upcoming elections and others to help train the Afghan army.

The small eastern European nation of Estonia, population 1.3 million, has sent troops to Afghanistan, just as it did in Iraq.

Worldfocus correspondent Daljit Dhaliwal and producers Sally Garner and Ara Ayer report on Estonia’s military after Soviet occupation and its alliance with the U.S. in Afghanistan.

Read producer Sally Garner’s blog from the field: Newly-minted Estonian soldiers head to Afghanistan.

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14 comments

#14

08/25/2009 :: 10:41:55 AM
Peter Says:

Yea Estonia, thank you for your support for the Afgan people and supporting the US effort. Your sacrifices will be remembered.

#13

08/24/2009 :: 07:54:26 PM
RCS Says:

Thank you, Estonia. It means more than you can know that you’re supporting us through this.

#12

04/11/2009 :: 08:02:45 AM
to Lewis Says:

that’s very well stated!

#11

04/10/2009 :: 11:05:21 PM
Lewis Says:

About Georgia “firing first” that is like a midget punching a 600-pound body builder with a rocket launcher.

#10

04/08/2009 :: 07:57:01 AM
Stephen Says:

This amazes me. Countries like Estonia fought decades to free themselves from Soviet rule, for what?! To be soft pedaled into sending their soldiers off to die for a different tyrants war? Ask the people of Iraq what happens when you listen to promises from the US government. You go from allie to millions dead just from the greed of the elites. The only true way to stay free is to protect your sovereignty as a nation. NO NATO, NO UN, NO NWO!

#9

04/08/2009 :: 02:24:20 AM
Waffa Says:

But yeah, Afghanistan thing i personally do not support, because USA first at all grated Taliban and this invasion there is wrong (in some ways not much better what soviets did there before). But unfortunately estonia must support many retarded USA wars because we want/need to be in NATO - and this is only true protection against only ONE enemy estonia has - not hard to think who is this..

If we need to choose between 2 evils then yes, we must take USA, it’s only real option because EU has no real power still to tell USA: F off, WE do not need a war.

#8

04/08/2009 :: 02:08:39 AM
Waffa Margus Says:

Steve - this BBC report is just sorry - one piece of dramatic crap in some parts. Not really informative but more about drama and speculation in many parts. If you want to make real documentary then u center to the facts and not some women who is crying - and for sore you do NOT center on one side victims more then others.
Why was there not mentioned that russia “peace keepers” work before conflict and other small attacks against Georgian officials before this conflict? Russia army was preparing long before the attacks - and this is according russian military personals from many different sources. This that Gerogia made mistake to start to fight back so hard this was russian jack pot they was waiting to justify this what was planned.

Russians INVITED mainstream media from the very beginning, in August, but BBC preferred to cover the events ONLY from Georgia. Now they call it “exclusive” access
Well, and i will even not go in this fabricated “12 year old girl censored on FOX” that was spread all over the Internet as mass news. Are people so blind or just .. dumb?
(and no, i do not think Georgia did EVERYTHING as they should, but they just did as russia hoped… this was good test)

And this reporter calls himself specialist on russian affairs… :D
And let’s not forget: http://blog.cleveland.com/world_impact/2008/08/large_20080811_Georgia_pipeline.jpg … :)

#7

04/07/2009 :: 09:59:09 AM
Quizzical Says:

Finally some common sense. War isn’t over yet, don’t quit now.

#6

04/07/2009 :: 08:53:25 AM
spencer Says:

When addressing the “caste” in India I love the quote by a leading Indian thinker (P. R. Sarkar): I often say that the caste system is hypocrisy – unreal. If you analyze the caste of human beings you will find that the ancestors of every human being were monkeys. In that case everybody’s caste is monkey caste. All this hypocrisy is to be given up. Is it that the ancestor of a Brahman-caste human being was a Brahman-caste monkey and that of a Rajput-caste person a Rajput-caste monkey?” (P.R. Sarkar, 1980)
I feel that nationalism can help in reducing the effects of the caste system, but it is not the final solution. The ideological circle of
(caste) is smaller than the ideological circle of (nationalism), but both are finite – the only difference in the length of their radius.
Nationalism results in much suffering and injustice as can be seen from the recent history of Europe. The universal infinite radius of (one family of humanity) cannot be applied completely with the walls of nationalism standing in resistance.
I hope that India will make progress to treat all humans as humans, but it is a global problem and the answer will come from the hearts of all humans as we consider the true nature of our universal family.

#5

04/07/2009 :: 06:01:40 AM
Väino Says:

The main conclusion of the report is: Estonia supports democracy - and the USA effort!

#4

04/07/2009 :: 04:11:40 AM
Hello Says:

Sometimes I get the impression that when our troops need new equipment, the MoD only really acts when the reasoning is “it’s for foreign missions”. There have been other shortcomings by them in last 9 years, too much to mention right now.

in reply to Steve, one thing that BBC did not report was of 3rd of August when S-ossetians were evacuating a large number of women and children to North Ossetia. I’m sure they also missed those reports of 122mm artillery fired from S-ossetian side. of caliber that was not even supposed to exist there according to the treaties from 1990s.

#3

04/06/2009 :: 11:46:47 PM
Ilmar Says:

Very well stated, Liis… Anyone who wants to know what Russia REALLY did to Estonia should check out the acclaimed, award-winning, and most successful independently released US feature film of 2008, “The Singing Revolution,” available at http://www.singingrevolution.com After watching this absolutely riveting documentary, everyone will understand exactly why “anti Russian” anxiety still exists in Estonia…

#2

04/06/2009 :: 10:13:02 PM
Liis Says:

Dear Steve, do you know what happened in Georgia BEFORE Georgia fired first in last August’s war? And AFTER…
People in Estonia have a reason to be afraid of Russain attacts, that’s just how it is.

#1

04/06/2009 :: 04:32:42 PM
Steve Says:

I have just watched the report on Estonian soldeirs fighting in Afganistan and welcome the help they are providing for the “combat” troops there. BUT once again as is so often in the western media a reference to Russia’s invasion of Georgia putting an anti russian stance on things. The fact is that Georgia fired first in last august’s war. Those who read this may like to watch the BBC report on the events of last august. “What really happened in South Ossetia”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7722806.stm

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