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Albania Army Contingent Leaves for Iraq
Albania sent a fourth contingent of army peacekeepers to Iraq on Monday to replace troops who had served since April with the coalition force, the Defense Ministry said. A unit of 71 Albanian special army troops flew to Iraq to serve in a six-month mission under U.S.-led command. The Albanian forces are serving in a non-combat role, mainly patrolling the airport in the Iraqi city of Mosul. "After serving for six months in Iraq, you will feel that you have loaded on your shoulders part of the pain the Iraqi people are coping with to finally get rid of a dictatorial past," Defense Minister Pandeli Majko said at a sendoff ceremony at Mother Teresa international Airport. Albania, a predominantly Muslim country, was one of the most vocal backers of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Although it was unable to provide significant military support, it opened its airspace and offered U.S.-led forces the use of its bases. Albanian authorities are discussing boosting the troop numbers to 120.Posted by: Fred 2004-10-12 |
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