Hungary to participate in anti-ISIS military action

As Fidesz MPs support the government’s plan to send soldiers to Iraq, a conservative columnist fears that the mission may be more dangerous than the government suggests. A left-wing commentator suspects that participation in the mission is an attempt by the government to improve its relations with the US, but he nonetheless supports the idea of taking part in the military action.

On Monday, the Fidesz floor leader said that Fidesz MPs support the government’s idea to participate in the Western military action against the Islamic State and send 100 troops to Iraqi Kurdistan (see BudaPost March 13).

In Magyar Nemzet, Gyula Haraszti fears that the mission may not be as risk-free as the government hopes. Hungarian soldiers will be part of the Force Protection unit which is involved in reconnaissance tasks as part of their defence mission, the conservative columnist notes. In Kurdistan, armed defence is without doubt a potentially hazardous mission and thus the government should not downplay the risks, Haraszti adds. He goes on to remark that Hungary’s participation in the military action may also make Hungary a target of jihadi terrorists.

Hungary should participate in the international coalition against the ISIS, Gábor Horváth writes in Népszabadság. The left-wing pundit suspects that the Orbán government decided to send troops in order to facilitate a diplomatic reconciliation with the US. Nonetheless, Horváth believes that whatever the government’s hidden intentions may be, Hungary has a moral duty to help fight the Sunni radicals and restore peace.

Tags: foreign affairs, military, US