Newspaper Aftenposten reported over the weekend that NATO still wants Norway to send soldiers who are specially trained for winter conditions to the south of Afghanistan, where the Taliban has been making inroads this year.
Espen Barth Eide, state secretary in the defense ministry, said he doesn't believe NATO is on the verge of making another formal request, as reported by Aftenposten. Norway's center-left government turned down a NATO request for more troops last month.
If NATO does come with a new request, however, Jan Petersen of the Conservatives hopes Norway will comply this time.
Petersen, a former foreign minister, says Norway's government "should say yes" to any new request, even though it would spark conflict within the government coalition.
"We should have said 'yes' to NATO's request a few weeks ago and we should say 'yes' to a new request," Petersen told Aftenposten. "I hope the government chooses to overlook internal disagreement."
Germany and Spain also turned down NATO's call for help last month, while Great Britain and Canada agreed to send more soldiers to Afghanistan help secure those already there.
