Czech Republic to meet US request for support in possible war on Iraq

There is little question now that the Czech Republic will try and assist the US if it comes to a ground war against Iraq. On Monday the Czech cabinet, joined by outgoing Czech President Vaclav Havel, met in a four hour session to decide it would try and meet a US request asking for the use of the Czech Republic's elite chemicals detection unit, as well the use of Czech airspace and territory, for the stationing of US troops - if it comes to war.

Czech Republic to meet US request for support in possible war on Iraq

Saddam Hussein, photo: CTK

But, Czech support also has a catch: the cabinet stipulated clearly on Monday that any Czech involvement in a US-led campaign against Iraq will hinge on a new UN resolution, or a Security Council statement, being passed, that will stress that Saddam Hussein's regime failed to meet the requirements of disarmament and weapons inspection called for by the United Nations. The only exception in which the Czechs would provide unequivocal support without a new resolution or statement would be if Saddam Hussein were to use weapons of mass destruction. Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, described the scenario in which the Czech anti-chemicals unit would operate:

"We mentioned enlarging the sphere of operations of our unit, so that it could act, for example, in Turkey, or if Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons in Iraqi Kurdistan - No one else, with the exception of Saddam Hussein, has used chemical weapons against a civilian population - if these weapons were used and affected, say, Turkey, Oman, Kuwait, then our unit would go into action based on this mandate to try and deal with the impact."

Chemicals detection unit, photo: CTK

If the bill gets a parliamentary green-light at the end of this week, and by all indications it shall - only one party, the Communists, have stated they are explicitly against - it will mean the Czech 250-man strong anti-chemical, based in Kuwait, will soon be joined by an additional 110 doctors and soldiers. It will also see a change by lawmakers extending their stay abroad; originally, the Czech contingent was supposed to return in March.

Which raises one final important issue: should it come to war, and protracted involvement in Iraq, the Czech public will have to prepare itself for the possibility of seeing its own wounded or killed on the frontlines, something it is perhaps not yet ready to accept. According to an opinion poll conducted by the Stem agency on Monday, only 39 percent of Czechs support their country's involvement in a US-led strike, 61 percent do not, numbers that could fluctuate after UN weapons inspectors file a key report January 27th. For the time being, though, it appears that many Czechs, more than the Czech government, remain sceptical a war against Iraq is justified.