Germany on Thursday began deploying 600 troops for military exercises in Kosovo, the disputed Serbian province in the early stages of delicate negotiations on independence, according to Reuters. The German reserve battalion will stay until May, when troops from other nations will deploy as part of an "operational rehearsal" continuing throughout the year. "It's an exercise in supporting troops on the ground in patrolling and manning checkpoints," said Lieutenant Colonel Detlef Schachel, a spokesman for the German contingent of the 17,500-strong NATO peace force in Kosovo, KFOR. "It shows the capability of KFOR to respond to any crisis."
