NEWS OF THE DAY - JULY 2

Photo credit (c) ALEX MICSIK /AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) has decided that, depending on the NATO's final decision, Romania will contribute some 200 troops and 50 police and gendarme officers to the training, counselling and assistance mission in Afghanistan. 'The Council analysed the national options for Romania's participation in the future NATO mission in Afghanistan after 2014 taking into account the options adopted at NATO level. It has established that, depending on the NATO decision, Romania will contribute up to 200 troops under the authority of the Defence Ministry and up to 50 police and gendarme officers under the authority of the Interior Ministry, to the training, counselling and assistance mission in Afghanistan,' the Presidential Administration reports in a press release.

* Mircea Basescu, President Traian Basescu's brother, has not been extended physical or informational protection by the Special Guard and Protection Service (SPP) because he is only a twice-removed relative of the President, Chairman of the Senate's Defence Committee Corneliu Dobritoiu said Wednesday after analysing a report from the SPP on the Bercea-Basescu case. He said the report of the SPP answers shortly and to the point to the questions about the legal responsibilities of the SPP, which include protecting dignitaries and their once-removed relatives. About the event in Costesti on the Culture Day of Roma in 2009, Dobritoiu said SPP had not received any intelligence from other services and did not spell out Bercea Mondial as a person that could represent a potential threat against the life and bodily integrity of Romania's President. 'As far as subsequent actions are concerned, the President did not meet Bercea Mondial or any of his family, which means SPP...

Continue reading on: