The members of the Slovenian Armed Forces are presently cooperating at ten military missions in Europe, Africa and Asia. In future months the Slovenian Army will start a new chapter. The state decided that the Slovenian army will cooperate in the world coalition against the IS (Islamic state) terrorist group; with almost unanimous consent of all the parliamentary parties. Only the opposition United Left party considers it is high time Slovenia helped the victims of terrorism and imperialism with humanitarian aid, and with rehabilitation of the wounded.
Slovenia will participate in the fight against IS with soldiers and weapon. Up to 15 members of the Slovenian Armed Forces will probably train the forces of the Iraqi Kurdistan. At first six soldiers should be deployed.

The tasks will be defined by the draft conference
In this coalition we are active in several fields, and in future as well we will refrain from participating in combat operations of the coalition, i.e. military support, but we will participate in training Peshmergas who are extremely successful in their fight against the IS, Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec explained. More than 60 states are to participate in the anti-IS coalition.

It is not known yet which soldiers will be sent to Erbil, where the training of Peshmergas will take place. The Ministry of Defence explained that the cooperation of Slovenia will be defined at the draft conferences in the beginning of March, when it will be established which instructors are actually needed in Iraq.

The second mission in Iraq
Slovenia had participated in Iraq with military instructors already in the past decade. In the beginning of 2006 the Slovenian government, at that time led by Janez Janša, sent to Iraq four instructors who trained the Iraqi soldiers in Al Rustamija baze near Bagdad. In the end of 2008 the UN mandate in Iraq ended, and the last Slovenian instructors were withdrawn.

Transport more expensive than weapons
The second part of the aid to world coalition against IS will be in weapons. Minister of Defence Andreja Katič on Wednesday explained that Slovenia would give the surplus of military weaponry of no great financial value, but of high useful value.

The worth of the weapons is estimated to EUR 260,000, and together with the transport the value is estimated at EUR 650,000. Yet the Ministry of Defence will create no additional costs due to transport, as it will be performed within the arranged quotas of the Slovenian Armed Forces. The donation of weapons, mainly from the period of the former Jugoslav National Army, and the Slovenian struggle for independence, will be the fourth in this millennium.

The first donation was made by the government of Janez Drnovšek. At that time Slovenia was a member of the international counter-terrorism coalition, and in September 2002 a decision was made to donate weapons to Afghanistan as aid in equipping and training the army for supervision of the border, and fight against terrorism. Slovenia donated 1800 rifles, 88 mortars, 26 anti-tank hand mortars, and corresponding ammunition.

The next two donations of weapons to Afghanistan and Iraq were made by the Janša's government. In 2005 aid in weapons was offered to the Iraqi authorities (15,000 pieces of light infantry weapons) and military equipment in the value of EUR 5 million. In 2006 a decision was adopted regarding the contribution of Slovenia to equipping the Afghanistan army. Slovenia gave to Afghanistan 10,000 automatic rifles and approximately two million pieces of corresponding ammunition in the approximate value of 125 million Tolars, i.e. approximately half a million euros.

404 soldiers participating in missions
The number of soldiers Slovenia will contribute to the fight against the IS is not know yet, claim the representatives of the government. According to data from the beginning of February, presently 404 Slovenian soldiers are participating at different missions. The largest number of the Slovenian soldiers is still in KFOR in Kosovo, where according to data given by the Slovenian Armed Forces there are 311 Slovenian soldiers.

The second largest mission is the participation of the only Slovenian military boat Triglav in EUNVFOR mission with 49 members of the Slovenian Armed Forces. In Syria there are three Slovenian soldiers, acting as military observers in the UNTSO mission, supervising the ceasefire and other agreements made between the conflicting parties in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

Gregor Cerar, translated by G. K.