GEORGIA: DEFENCE MINISTRY ANNOUNCES INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TROOPS BEING DEPLOYED IN IRAQ

Record ID: 643529

  • Title: GEORGIA: DEFENCE MINISTRY ANNOUNCES INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TROOPS BEING DEPLOYED IN IRAQ
  • Date: 24th April 2004
  • Summary: (EU) TBILISI, GEORGIA (APRIL 26, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WS: EXTERIOR OF GEORGIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY / SCU GUARD (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. NIKOLAS LALIASHVILI, HEAD OF DEFENCE POLICY AND EURO-ATLANTIC DEPT OF GEORGIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY LEAVING BUILDING 0.19 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIKOLAS LALIASHVILI, HEAD OF DEFENCE POLICY AND EURO-ATLANTIC DEPT OF GEORGIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY, SAYING: "We decided to be not only a consumer but also a provider of global security, to be a valuable partner for the international community and our partners. So that is why we decided to increase our contingent in Iraqi stability operations. In summer, it is decided to send our troops, up to a battalion level--550 military personnel will be sent in [sic] Iraq." 0.56 4. GUARD OUTSIDE MINISTRY 1.01 (EU) TBILISI, GEORGIA (APRIL 24, 2004) (REUTERS) 5. SCU'S: U.S. SOLDIERS SALUTING (2 SHOTS) 1.12 6. WS: GEORGIAN AND U.S. TROOPS DURING JOINT MILITARY PARADE 1.16 7. GEORGIAN SOLDIERS MARCHING (3 SHOTS) 1.36 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th May 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TBILISI, GEORGIA
  • Country: Georgia
  • Reuters ID: LVAADKGOX78NDBWUO32B2GHKZU82
  • Story Text: Georgia boosts number of troops to be deployed to
    Iraq.


    Georgia plans to boost its military presence in Iraq
    to 550 soldiers from the current 150, the defence ministry
    said on Monday (April 26).

    "We decided to be not only a consumer but also a
    provider of global security, to be a valuable partner for
    the international community and our partners. So that is
    why we decided to increase our contingent in Iraqi
    stability operations. In summer, it is decided to send our
    troops, up to a battalion level--550 military personnel
    will be sent in [sic] Iraq," said Defence Ministry official
    Nikolas Laliashvili.

    The move follows announcements by Spain, Honduras and
    the Dominican Republic that they were withdrawing their
    forces from Iraq.

    Georgian servicemen are stationed in ousted Iraqi
    President Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

    U.S. forces in Iraq and their allies have been facing
    increasing resistance from Iraqi guerrillas a year after
    Saddam was toppled. The latest bout of violence has killed
    hundreds of people, including more than 100 U.S. soldiers,
    and has prompted calls for more troops to be sent to Iraq.

    The Caucasus state is a strategic U.S. ally located on
    the route of a planned oil pipeline to pump Caspian Sea
    crude to the Mediterranean.


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