VARIOUS: U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosova celebrate Thanksgiving with the traditional turkey

U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosova celebrate Thanksgiving with the traditional turkey miles away from their families. U.S. troops stationed at Bagram airbase north of Afghan capital Kabul were celebrating Thanksgiving with the traditional turkey miles away from their families on Thursday (November 22). While visiting Kabul NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer seized the opportunity to pay tribute to the more than 15,000 U.S troops serving in Afghanistan combating militants and as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). "I pay tribute on what is for our American allies and friends Thanksgiving Day. To all those men and women in uniform together with the Afghani army who are in the field as we speak in Afghanistan and who don't, do not always have an easy job," he said. There has been a steady rise in violence in Afghanistan in the last two years since the Taliban relaunched their insurgency to overthrow President Hamid Karzai's pro-Western government and eject the 40,000 NATO troops from the country. In Baghdad, troops gathered to exchange greetings at a special meal at one of the U.S bases in the heavily guarded area known as the Green Zone. Lieutenant colonel Georgina Murray sent a greeting home to her family and praised the Thanksgiving meal the troops were served. "I like want to say hi to my family, my brother in Pennsylvania and to my sweetie pie my husband in North Carolina, in Lumberton North Carolina," she said. "We are doing well here and we're having a wonderful meal here at the Embassy palace. They've done a wonderful job, thank you very much," Murray added. In southern Kosovo, the U.S. military base, Bondsteel, built in three months in 1999, houses 1600 soldiers serving in a NATO led peacekeeping mission. Unlike other missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, local Albanian population see American troops as saviours, and their presence is seen crucial. Even though they're in a "friendly" environment, soldiers miss their families, especially on holidays like Thanksgiving. "It's hard but it is a duty to my country. I really miss my children, I have a daughter "Cursa" who is twelve, and son Shane who is 19 and he's headed for Iraq, so it will be several Thanksgiving without each other," says Nicki Bax from Missouri, fighting back tears. NATO has 16,000 soldiers in Kosovo, down from 45,000 when it first deployed troops in 1999 on the heels of Serb forces retreating after a two-year counter-insurgency war. In the US, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade turned 81. The annual parade kicked off Thursday morning (November 22) in New York city with dozens of floats and balloons, as well as familiar favourites and a few debuts. The parade route stretches nearly 2.5 miles from 77th street all the way down to 34th street in Manhattan. The line-up includes eleven giant helium filled character balloons including some veteran players like Kermit and Scooby Doo. There was also eleven marching bands, including Virginia Tech's band, "The Highty Tighties" who performed and paid tribute to those lost in the recent tragic campus shootings. Overall, there were 24 floats and over 10,000 participants, volunteers and celebrities.

ITN Source | November 23, 2007

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