U.S. troops staying in Kosovo until late 2009

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U.S. troops staying in Kosovo until late 2009
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 7, 2008 6:35:31 EDT

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The U.S. will continue its troop presence in Kosovo until at least late next year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday, reaffirming U.S. support for the newly declared nation in the face of stern opposition from Russia.

Gates’ visit marked the first time a U.S. Cabinet member has been to Kosovo since the country declared its independence in February. And it underscored the escalating tensions between NATO allies and Moscow.

Gates, who will meet with the country’s top leaders during a daylong stop, said his main goal was to meet with U.S. troops serving in Kosovo as part of a coalition of more than 30 nations, with a force of roughly 15,000.

There currently are about 1,600 U.S. troops in Kosovo. The last time a U.S. defense secretary was here was when Donald H. Rumsfeld visited in June 2001. At that time, U.S. and NATO peacekeepers were struggling to halt the flow of weapons across the border into Macedonia.

Soldiers watched for mule trains hauling the supplies across the border to aid ethnic Albanian rebels who were fighting the Macedonian government.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_kosovo_100708/%2e