Czech Ex-FM Under Fire for Slamming NATO Mission in Afghanistan - Politician

PRAGUE (Sputnik) - Lubomir Zaoralek should be removed from his Czech parliament's foreign affairs committee chairman position, over his recent remark, saying that NATO forces' mission in Afghanistan was a mistake, leader of the Czech center-right Mayors and Independents party Petr Gazdik said.

"This [remark] leads to [Zaoralek's] removal from the position of the foreign affairs committee head, as a representative of this committee doesn't have a right to say anything like this," Gazdik said as broadcast by the Czech Television.

Petr Fiala, the leader of the Civic Democratic Party, supported Gazdik, saying that Former Czech foreign minister Lubomir Zaoralek's statement had showcased his "insensitivity" and "lack of qualification."

In October, Zaoralek said that NATO forces' operation in Afghanistan was a mistake, as well as NATO's engagement in the Iraq War. Zaoralek said that NATO should withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, which came against the backdrop of a Czech serviceman's recent death in Afghanistan.

Vojtech Filip, the leader of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, was critical of Czech military presence in Afghanistan, but still slammed Zaoralek, claiming that he "did not have a right to say these words."

"This was a poor statement, considering that he [Zaoralek] voted in June for the continuation of the Czech mission in Afghanistan," he said, as broadcast by the Czech Television.

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NATO, along with the United States, initially launched its military operations in Afghanistan in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks. While most of the US troops had been withdrawn from the country by the end of 2014, NATO launched a new mission in 2015 to provide training and assistance to the Afghan security forces. Over 16,000 soldiers from 39 NATO countries are currently serving in Afghanistan as part of the mission.