Tue 20 Dec 2005 Bulgaria withdrawing from Iraq Bulgaria has began withdrawing the remainder of its troops from Iraq and the first group of more than 100 were expected to arrive home today, the Defence Ministry announced.
Bulgaria initially contributed 500 troops to the US-led coalition in Iraq in 2003, but gradually reduced the number in recent years. The 380 Bulgarian troops still in the country are serving under Polish command in the Iraqi city of Diwaniya, south of Baghdad. All are expected to return home by the end of this month, with the first group of 105 due to arrive at the international airport in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, later today, the Defence Ministry said. Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev will greet the troops at the airport, his office announced. The Defence Ministry said that the infantry battalion in Iraq had concluded its mission and is relocating to Bulgaria as decided by Parliament. The ministry said that "with the elections conducted, Bulgaria's infantry battalion has successfully concluded its mission in Iraq." Parliamentary elections were held last week in Iraq. The Bulgarian battalion has transferred its military responsibilities in Diwaniya to Iraqi forces. Defence Minister Veselin Bliznakov said earlier that Bulgaria will "most likely" continue its military involvement in Iraq by contributing a 120-strong non-combat unit tasked with guarding the Ashraf refugee camp. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2438452005 Last updated: 20-Dec-05 17:26 GMT ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 1.2 million kids a year are victims of human trafficking. Stop slavery. http://us.click.yahoo.com/U6CDDD/izNLAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
