Rumsfeld asks world's newest army for help in Iraq

Rumsfeld reviews Montenegran honor guard

Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, flew into Montenegro today to ask for help in the war against terrorism from the world's newest army.

A Pentagon spokesman said Mr Rumsfeld would discuss what contribution the Montenegrin military, which became independent from Serbia three months ago, would be prepared to make to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"That’s on the table," said Eric Ruff, speaking to reporters on board Mr Rumsfeld's aircraft to Podgorica, the capital of the small, Adriatic state of around 650,000 people.

"There will be discussion about what kind of involvement they see in the global war, and certainly any kind of support for specifically the Central Command [Middle East] region would be greatly appreciated."

Montenegro was recognised as Europe's newest state in June. For decades its armed forces had been merged with those of Serbia and the rest of the Yugoslavian military.

During the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Montenegro became the junior partner in the Vojska Srbije i Crne Gore or VSCG, the Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro, which was dissolved this summer.

According to Jane's Information Group, the military analysts, the Montenegrin armed forces currently number no more than 3,000 troops. There is as yet no Montenegrin Defence Ministry and the military is currently under the control of the country's long-serving Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic. The country has 390 naval personnel.

Read the rest at the Times of London

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