Albania tells Washington of willingness to send more troops to Iraq

AP | 4/19/04

[kattracks]

TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- Albania, a predominantly Muslim country, told the United States it was prepared to send more non-combat troops to Iraq, the government said Monday, in a possible expansion of the 71-member-strong contingent patrolling the northern city of Mosul under U.S. command.

Despite the small number of Albanian forces, the public commitment from Tirana was bound to be welcome news to the United States after Spain's weekend announcement that it was withdrawing its 1,300-member contingent as soon as possible.

Albanian Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami made the offer Friday in a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The statement did not say what the increase would be. But earlier this month the defense ministry said it was considering increasing its commitment to 200 soldiers, despite the recent terrorist attacks against members of the U.S.-led coalition.

"We have expressed our readiness to positively respond to the request for additional forces and we are working to set the practical details to achieve that," the minister was quoted as telling Powell.

Albania was one of the most vocal backers of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Although it was unable to provide significant military support, it opened its airspace and offered U.S.-led forces the use of its bases.

[Lion in Winter]

Is that a red commie rag? Sure is ugly!!!

[eleni121]

More like 18%---Albanian Christians experienced the severest persecution under communism of all the countries in Eastern Europe.

[Destro]

Are you including the Greek Christians living in Northen Epirus as part of your 18%?

[Destro]

Oh yea, - snikers - I am known for supporting the Muslim causes on FreeRepublic.chortle..

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the comments and the link. I'll check it out.

[Shqipo]

Christians make up about 35% of Albania (Catholics in the north and Eastern Orthodox in the south). And despite the propoganda of Greek irredentists, the vast majority of the Christians in the south are Albanian Orthodox, not Greek Orthodox. Northern Epirus is a myth, and not all Roman Catholics are Italians, either.

[Shqipo]

At least if you were a pussy cat, you'd know your ass from your elbow. Luan ne dimer, ti je koke mute. Look that one up, and may the Albanian Eagle wave forever.

[Destro]

Epirus has been Greek since the time of the Gods: The Acheron river, mythologized as a river of Hades, flowed through this region, and here also stood the oak grove of Dodona (modern Dodoni), sacred to Zeus and famous for its oracles. Ancient Epirus was a homeland of the Dorian people..

[eleni121]

"Of the 3.5 million citizens of Albania, 65 per cent are Muslim, about 25 per cent are Orthodox and 11 per cent are Roman Catholic."

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/oldnews/1999/99292.htm

[Mixer]

How long until there is a terror attack in Albania followed by a warning for them to leave Iraq.

[Shqipo]

The term Epirus means nothing more than "mainland." The Illyrians (Albanians) were the original inhabitants of The Balkan Peninsula, their lands extending from well into modern Greece all the way up the Dalmatian coast up to the Swiss Alps. Such is documented by historians such as Herodotus, Ptolemy and Thucydides. Up until the 20th century, Northern Greece was primarily inhabited by Albanians (Chameria), but most were killed or deported to Turkey after WWI. Dodona is almost as far south as Athens.

[NYC Republican]

Destro - you're an a$$. Take your racist views elsewhere. You're not conservative, you're just a hate-mongerer, idiot.

[Incorrigible]

Bump!

[Shqipo]

Finally, someone who knows facts rather than superfluous propaganda. Keep up keepin the unwashed informed and in line, for I need to call it a night. Kristi unghall (Christ is Risen in good ole Albanian!)

--from a very Albanian Orthodox, God Bless America, type of dude. (Lion in Winter, may you fall prey to the chill).

[Destro]

Illyrians are not Albanians.

[ride the whirlwind]

Thanks Albania...

[Lion in Winter]

Look bub.... that rag looks like a red commie crap flag! A flag like that is BU++ UGLY!! The birds(????) look like two headed VULTURES!!

If albania was such a great place what are you doing here?

I hate hyphenated-Americans.

[Lion in Winter]

albanians have no history but what they make-up or steal from everybody else!! HAHAHA!!

Amazing that there is NO mention of albanians in the Bible either since they think the whole world is theirs to take.

[Lion in Winter]

I wonder where all the Christians albanians do their drug smuggling and their white slave business? England? France or te Netherlands?

[angry elephant]

The Albanians I know who are in the US are Greek orthodox, so I'm not sure whether Albania is primarily muslin or not.