El Salvador likely to send fourth contingent to Iraq
El Salvador could send a fourth military contingent to Iraq, depending on whether Iraq would return to the normality after the January elections, Salvadoran Defense Minister Gen. Otto Romero said Friday.

Romero told reporters he might visit Iraq late this year in order to get first-hand information about the mental and physical conditions of the 380 Salvadoran troops of Atlacatl Battalion, deployed in the country since last August with their mission to be completed in February, according to reports from San Salvador.

Since June 2003, the government of El Salvador has sent three contingents to Iraq to participate in humanitarian tasks and for the reconstruction of the country, in spite of the opposition of the Salvadoran people.

El Salvador is the only Latin American country stationing troops in Iraq, as part of the international alliance led by the United States
 

Lat Am ought to integrate with Caribbean for talks with US: Mexican FM
Visiting Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Derbez said Friday that Latin America should integrate with the Caribbean as a single region in order to have more balanced negotiations with the United States.

Derbez, who was in Caracas for an official one-day visit, made the remarks at a press conference in the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry after attending the 5th Meeting of the Mechanism of Consultation on issues of common interests between the two countries.

He said that both the Venezuelan proposal, Bolivian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), are stages leading to an integration which will generate wealth for Mexico and Venezuela.

The second Meeting of Venezuela-Mexico Bilateral Permanent Commission was planned to be held in mid-March next year in Mexico, which will address bilateral issues with concrete dates and work on issues such as trade, culture, education, drug trafficking and terrorism, Derbez told reporters.

Derbez and his Venezuelan counterpart Jesus Perez also discussed the possibility of including Panama in the Group of Three (G-3) formed by Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela.
 

Helicopter crash kills 3 in Mexico
The Mexican National Defense Ministry said on Friday that three soldiers were killed and two wounded in two accidents of the air force helicopters.

The military said one helicopter crashed on duty, killing the pilot, the assistant pilot and another lieutenant on board.

In another development, one helicopter landed in emergency due to engine malfunctions when patrolling in the mountainous area of central Hidalgo province, injuring two servicemen.

The cause of the accidents is under investigation