| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Azerbaijan to withdraw troops from Iraq |
| 2008-11-15 |
| Aswat al-Iraq: Azerbaijan's parliament has voted to pull the ex-Soviet republic's small peacekeeping force out of Iraq, according to the U.S. newspaper Boston Globe on Friday. According to the daily, lawmakers voted 86-1 on Friday to back President Ilham Aliev's request to withdraw the 150 troops serving as part of the U.S.-led coalition. The contingent has served in Iraq since 2003, working mostly as sentries, on patrols and protecting dams. It is unclear when the pullout will be completed. The newspaper explained that Aliev has sought to strengthen his oil- and gas-rich country's ties with the European Union and the United States, in part to balance Russia's enormous clout in the Caspian region. The government earlier this year doubled its peacekeeping force in Afghanistan to 45 soldiers and has also sent troops to Kosovo. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 That;s right TW, and they are all getting their guys out of the way so the BambiXpress carrying our guys out dosen't run them down. Plus then we have to be the ones to turn out the lights, since we will be last. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-11-15 21:20 |
| #2 That stupid, incompetent, cowboy President Bush seems to have inadvertently gotten an awful lot of unexpected countries to help with the anti-jihadi effort. Thank goodness we now have a brilliant world citizen to take over the reins and do things properly! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-11-15 13:41 |
| #1 Azerbaijan is another small, former Soviet country that has pulled well above its weight, especially compared to some NATO nations and others I could name. Thank you, and God bless your small nation and keep it safe. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-11-15 13:16 |