King In Afghanistan on New Year’s Eve
January 1, 2008
The Spanish King Juan Carlos made an unannounced visit to the Spanish troops that are currently serving in Afghanistan, and this on New Year’s Eve! Similar to visits George Bush makes or the recent Christmas phone calls Bush made to some soldiers, this visit of the King is to boost troop morale!
The King Juan Carlos arrived in Afghanistan accompanied by the Spanish Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso aboard a Hercules transport plane from Kuwait. The King travelled to Heart, a city in the western part of Afghanistan, where about 800 Spanish soldiers are serving in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force who are there to aid Afghanistan in its fight against Taliban militants. The Spanish King wished the troops success in their mission as well as congratulations to the soldiers. Over lunch he told the Spanish troops: “I wish you a very happy 2008 and expect you will complete your mission with success and return to Spain with the fulfillment of duty”.
The trip to Afhanistan falls on the week of his 70th birthday. Ten years ago the Spanish King made the same visit to Spanish troops serving in Bosnia coinciding with his 60th birthday at the time. Other troops serving in Afghanistan from Australia, France and Italy have also recently received visits from their country’s leaders recently as the year 2007 comes to an end - unfortunately the bloodiest since the beginning of the invasion in 2001.
Written by Greg · Filed Under Politics
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