Denmark's claim to be in Afghanistan primarily to support the civilian population is short of personnel, according to reports reaching here from Copenhagen Wednesday.
Financial aid for educational, health and infrastructure projects is not being supported by qualified personnel, and two of the three advisors sent to Afghanistan's Helmand province last year have since left their positions, the local media reported.
"I can't understand how we can only have one advisor in Helmand. The consequence is that the projects take longer to complete, and the quicker we get them done the quicker we get our soldiers home," said Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, head of research for the Danish Institute of Military Studies.
There are currently 750 Danish soldiers in Afghanistan. Denmark has set aside over 400 million kroner (about 80 million U.S. dollars) this year in financial aid to rebuilding projects.
"It might be difficult for them to swallow, but we ought to force advisors to go," said Peter Viggo Jakobsen, defense and security researcher at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Political Science.
But Danish Development Cooperation Minister Ulla Tornas said she will not to force advisors to go to Afghanistan, adding that it don't get good workers if the Danish government sends them there against their will.
Source:Xinhua
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