|
Ukraine May Keep Troops in Iraq
Ukraine's defense minister said Thursday that his country might leave 900 troops in Iraq beyond its October deadline for pulling out, and stressed that Kiev would not abandon its mission in the Middle East country.Ukraine on Tuesday approved the pullout of its 1,650-strong contingent in a phased withdrawal between March 15 and October. Its troops are responsible for security and training new Iraqi forces in Wasit province, which borders Iran. "Ukraine is not leaving the coalition, but it is changing the character of its mission," Anatoly Gritsenko told reporters in Warsaw after a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Jerzy Szmajdzinski. During his first foreign visit as defense minister, Gritsenko said a final group of some 900 troops may remain in Iraq until December, but said the issue "is still open for discussion and will be consulted with other nations." He also said Ukraine is "prepared to equip the Iraqi army with guns, and military equipment." Ukraine's soldiers serve in a Polish-led international force of 4,700 that covers the three Iraqi provinces of Wasit, Babil and Qadisiyah. Poland has 1,700 troops in the force. Posted by: ed 2005-03-04 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=58029 |