El Salvador to Double
Iraq Troops
Salvadorian president,
Antonio Saca, announced
deployment of a new
military contingent of
280 soldiers to Iraq.
The notice was released
in spite of the
rejection by political,
civilian and religious
organizations of that
Central American nation.
This would be the tenth
group of the Cuscatlan
battalion to go to Iraq
for reconstruction work,
according to official
sources.
The government awaits a
report by Defense
minister, General Otto
Romero, who visited
Salvadorians in Iraq
last week to define the
number of soldiers
necessary in the new
contingent.
"I expect to meet with
the minister and decide
but we will probably
send the same number we
have there," Saca said.
Recently archbishop
Fernando Saenz Lacalle
rejected the
presidential decision to
send more troops to
Iraq.
The top-level religious
leader said that
Salvadorian soldiers
"are not doing any
special function" in
that nation and warned
that their lives are in
danger.
El Salvador is the only
Latin American country
with troops in Iraq
since August of 2003
supporting United States
occupation. |
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