Estonia emerges from Soviet rule to fight in Afghanistan

March 13, 2009
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Soldiers gather for a briefing in Estonias snowy woods. Photo: Sally Garner

Producer Sally Garner is reporting from Estonia and writes from a military base about the newly-independent countrys contribution to the war in Afghanistan.

This newly-independent former Soviet Republic takes its freedom very seriously. Proud of its membership in NATO and its friendship with the United States, Estonia is among the most committed of all the countries willing to send soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2002, Estonia — a country with fewer than 1.5 million people — sent its first soldiers to stand alongside the United States in the war on al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In 2003, Estonia signed on as one of the original members of the so-called coalition of the willing to fight the war in Iraq.

That may not sound newsworthy until you realize that this tiny country had no army until 1994 when Soviet troops finally left. As one army officer said, We started from scratch.

We saw this first generation of Estonian troops training for international missions on what used to be a Soviet military base not far from the town of Paldiski, about 50 miles from the capital city of Tallinn. Thirty young soldiers got their briefing in the snowy woods before tackling a tough lesson on searching for suspected Taliban fighters and weapons.

A soldier trains in Estonias fierce winter weather. Photo: Sally Garner

After scoping out possible approaches, they drove their armored personnel carriers up to abandoned Soviet barracks, a perfect training ground for soldiers learning how to maneuver in Afghan villages and towns. Perfect — except for the weather which is the complete opposite of the heat and dust theyll experience during their upcoming summer tour of duty.

Its an amazing sight to see. And what makes this a story that producer and cameraman Ara Ayer and I wont forget is the discovery that many of these soldiers fathers were forced to serve in the Soviet Army during its long and disastrous invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

But these Estonian troops arent really interested in history. Theyre focused on their countrys future and value their international service for the combat experience they cant get in their very young country. As one lieutenant told us, We always need to be ready for any enemy who wants to take our freedom away.

- Sally Garner

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[kashakrus47]

Это наверно вся эстонская армия! В Афганистане эстонцев называю оккупанты.

[EstoniaANTICOMMUNIST]

@kashakrus47 Существовал Советской Армии был там в 1979-1989 гг. И все богатство прочь. Как результат, талибы пришли к власти. НАТО очищает СССР дерьмо там.

[kashakrus47]

@EstoniaANTICOMMUNIST

20 июня 2003 года в Ирак по просьбе американского командования отправлены первые кадровые военные эстонских сил обороны. Зачем эстонские оккупанты убивают иракский народ?

Зачем эстонские оккупанты убивают афганский народ?

Why Estonia Occupants kill Iraqi people?

Why Estonia Occupants kill Afghan people?

[EstoniaANTICOMMUNIST]

@kashakrus47 Why Russian Occupants kill Checnyan, Ingushian, Dagestan, Adogee, Cherkess, Georgian people?

Now there is 0 estonians in Iraq! You don't know what occupation is. Al-Qaida and Taliban are not notion!

USSR troops destroying Afgan state and infrastructure during war 1979-1989. After that warlords and terrorist taking this state over. That's your fault!

[EstoniaANTICOMMUNIST]

@kashakrus47 You want to let drugs from Afganistan taking ower Russia? You want to see Taliban bombs in Russia? Well then we must go back home and we will see what will happen in Russia.

[EilotsMusic]

Well all of you here are speaking totally sh*t : )

You dont know what about you're talking about. This war will never end it started houndered years ago and noone could take Afghanistan. If you will ask any of estonian troops in Afghanistan why for is he there? There will be two answers:

1)Money

2) I dont know...just

USSR were fighting there because of Cold war if you dont know the same in Vietnam and Korea.

Russians were fighting against chechens for some reasons and because of mess there.

[JasonDamisch]

el ia imperio al alia. el Rusia imperio al Usona imperio. Kia amaso de merdo

[AFGwarrior786]

Fuck Estonia! Long live Afghanistan!

[kashakrus47]

швейцарский журналист Р. Лабевьер, автор книги «Доллары террора. Соединенные Штаты и исламисты». Он утверждает, что в Афганистане американцы получают сверхприбыли от наркооружейного «бизнеса» и финансирования террористов.[

[kashakrus47]

In 2000, the Taliban had issued a ban on opium production, which led to reductions in Pashtun Mafia opium production by as much as 90%.[345] Soon after the 2001 U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan, however, opium production increased markedly.[ By 2005, Afghanistan had regained its position as the world’s #1 opium producer and was producing 90% of the world’s opium, most of which is processed into heroin and sold in Europe and Russia. Afghan opium kills 100,000 people every year worldwide.