HMM: This must be the “New Europe:”

Czech soldiers who accepted an offer to return home from Kuwait if they “did not feel ready” for a US-led war against Iraq have come in for huge public criticism.

Nobody expected any of the 250-strong Nuclear, Biological and Chemical unit to take up the offer from a defence minister hoping to illustrate his soldiers’ dedication. But when 27 of them did – with seven of them flying straight home – national pride was severely dented.

Such was the opprobrium that the remaining 20 are thinking of staying on. The army reports that soldiers, stung by the reaction, are volunteering by the dozen and another 130 will be on their way to Kuwait this weekend.

“I don’t want to be called a coward, that’s why I’ve stayed,” said one soldier. “We’ve already stayed two months over our time.”

“I don’t want to be called a coward.” And a public willing to do it. It’s hard to imagine this happening with, say, French troops. . ..

(Via Porphyrogenitus, who notes that the New York Times needs to get around a bit more and move beyond the sclerotic Eurocracy when it reports on European attitudes and events.)