Norway to send 150 more soldiers to Afghanistan

OSLO, Feb 13 (Reuters) Norway said today it would send a special forces unit of about 150 soldiers to Afghanistan to boost security in and around Kabul instead of the southern regions where NATO has repeatedly called for more troops.

NATO member Norway, which is scheduled to take over administration of Kabul's international airport in April, already has about 530 soldiers in Afghanistan with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

''This is a special forces contingent that will work in Kabul,'' a foreign ministry spokesman said. It was not immediately clear when the unit would arrive in Afghanistan.

The plan to boost its presence in Afghanistan has caused tensions within Norway's Centre-Left government.

While Norway has supported the NATO-led effort in Afghanistan after U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001, it refused to send troops to Iraq after the US invasion that brought down Saddam Hussein.

Reuters SSC DB2234