Several hundred Salvadoran peacekeepers bid farewell to their families Tuesday as they left for their mission in Iraq. Col. Sabino Monterrosa led his 360 soldiers aboard several 737s and took off for Zaragoza, Spain, where the group will train for at least a week. The soldiers are then expected to stop in Kuwait to do humanitarian work before heading to Iraq. Defense Secretary Juan Martinez said the mission was ``for God, El Salvador and world peace.’’ The group leaving Tuesday will remain in the Middle East for six months and then be relieved by a new group of Salvadoran forces, he said. The legislature approved the measure deploying Salvadoran troops to Iraq despite opposition by lawmakers from the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, the party of former rebels who fought a 12-year civil war against hardline state forces.
Figures.
In the past week, Honduras sent 370 military personnel to Iraq and Nicaragua sent 115 soldiers.
That’s about 850 total. That will help. |