Armenian parliament approves troop dispatch to Iraq
Agence France Presse -- English
December 24, 2004 Friday 6:58 PM GMT
YEREVAN Dec 24 -- The Armenian parliament Friday approved a controversial government plan to send 43 troops and medics to join the US-led coalition in Iraq.
Ninety-one deputies voted in favour of the proposal with 23 against and one abstention, despite fears from opposition groups that the deployment would endanger the large Armenian diaspora in the Arab world.
Opposition parties and youth organizations have warned that insurgents could target the some 20,000 ethnic Armenians in Iraq if the troops join the US-led campaign.
Under the plan backed by President Robert Kocharian, the non-combatant troops including doctors, mine-clearers and drivers would serve under Polish command south of Baghdad for one year.
They are expected to arrive in Iraq in February.
Agence France Presse -- English
December 24, 2004 Friday 6:58 PM GMT
YEREVAN Dec 24 -- The Armenian parliament Friday approved a controversial government plan to send 43 troops and medics to join the US-led coalition in Iraq.
Ninety-one deputies voted in favour of the proposal with 23 against and one abstention, despite fears from opposition groups that the deployment would endanger the large Armenian diaspora in the Arab world.
Opposition parties and youth organizations have warned that insurgents could target the some 20,000 ethnic Armenians in Iraq if the troops join the US-led campaign.
Under the plan backed by President Robert Kocharian, the non-combatant troops including doctors, mine-clearers and drivers would serve under Polish command south of Baghdad for one year.
They are expected to arrive in Iraq in February.
No comments:
Post a Comment