HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUEST FOR JOINT COMBINED

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001518 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL EZ SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS VETTING REQUEST FOR JOINT COMBINED EXERCISE TRAINING (JCET) - CZECH REPUBLIC ¶1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. Post has carefully reviewed the human rights record of the below named Czech military unit and unit commander. Post finds no record or evidence of any human rights violations. a) Name of Unit ) 601st Special Forces Group, Czech Ministry of Defense b) Unit Commander ) Lieutenant Colonel Milan Kovanda, March 27, 1970. ¶3. Over one hundred soldiers from the 601st Special Forces Group recently completed a six-month rotation assigned to U.S. Special Operations forces in Afghanistan. This was the unit,s second rotation in support of Operation Enduring Freedom during the past two years. The 601st is reportedly being considered for redeployment to Afghanistan in 2008 in support of ISAF. ¶4. Action request: Post seeks Department,s review of unit, and the unit's commander, in order to obtain Leahy Amendment Human Rights Vetting Approval. The US European Command proposes a Joint Combined Exercise Training (JCET) exercise take place with unit in the Czech Republic in May 2007. GRABER