Bosnia to send peace keeping forces to Iraq

Kuwait News Agency ^ | Aug 19, 2004

[Jane_N]

SARAJEVO, Aug 18 (KUNA) -- Bosnia will send a peacekeeping group of 36 military men to Iraq to work with the US forces on removing land mines and to conduct other rescue operations, said a statement issued by the Bosnian presidency today.

The statement of which Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) received a copy said that the Bosnian Presidential Council understands the opposition's demands regarding canceling the decision of sending a force to Iraq, however the council believes that the force will be involved in "non-combatant" missions as it will work on removing land mines and detonating booby traps.

The Bosnian group consists of officers from the three ethnic groups of Bosnia, Islamic, Croatian, and Serbian groups, added the statement noting that 36 military men will be chosen out of 100 volunteers from the Bosnian armed forces.

The statement explained that through sending this force "Bosnia aims to contribute in the peace keeping missions and to transfer their experience of removing mines to Iraq," indicating that this step will enhance Bosnia's new international role.

On the other hand the Social Democratic Party, which is the leading opposing party conducted a broad campaign to oppose sending military forces to Iraq in the current circumstances, while 10,000 nationals signed a petition demanding the Presidency to reconsider the decision.

[Jane_N]

Although the intentions may be noble, I can't help finding it amusing considering the continued presence of peacekeepers in Bosnia.

[Blue Highway]

Agreed. Very amusing.

[Recovering_Democrat]

John Kerry will say this means nothing. John Kerry, who by the way was in Vietnam, thinks so little of our allies...he scoffs at the contributions of the Brits, the Poles, the Italians, et al...yet he thinks he can build a better coalition because he'll bring in the French.

Yee-friggin' haw.

[correctthought]

I don't mean this as a slight to Bosnia, but this matches the "military might" of the Philippines which removed.

[cake_crumb]

Will they be American or British peacekeeping forces? And why don't they let them ALL go?

[jolie560]

Do you think one of the Islamic Freedom Fighters will kidnap and threaten to behead one of the Bosnian mine-removers? After all, the Bosnians are working for peace--same as the Infidel US. In Islam, that's worth a hostage and beheading party in honor of Allah.

[cake_crumb]

Yep. Noble, but amusing. We're still waiting for our troops to come home from "the war that Clinton won"

[kddid]

Of course we are appreciative of Bosnia’s contribution.

All they need to do is to remove that one booby trap or mine, and one more of ours returns home.

[cake_crumb]

Of course we're appreciative, but it's still some pretty black irony.

[Oplenac]

With the US floundering in Iraq, Bosnia proffers itself to the failed illegal US attack on Iraq. Nothing will come of this. This is a further example of the US attempting to surround itself with the so-called "coalition of the willing," to try to legitimate their aggression.