Posted on 01/15/2004 11:47:47 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
France, Germany and Japan could work together closely to train Iraq's police and soldiers once Iraqis have control of their government, the French defense minister said Thursday. Michele Alliot-Marie reiterated France's position after meeting with Japan's defense chief, Shigeru Ishiba, who was in Europe for talks on Iraq. ``We have said notably that we could play a role in defense as concerns training the future Iraqi army and police,'' Alliot-Marie told reporters before leaving for Washington for talks. She said that France would carry out the task ``in close collaboration with our German friends and also with our Japanese friends, because they themselves envisage to be involved in this domain.'' France, a leading critic of U.S. plans to invade Iraq, has not sent troops but has offered to train Iraqi police after the U.S.-led coalition hands power to an Iraqi transitional government on July 1. Japan is sending around 1,000 military personnel to provide water purification and other construction aid in the southern part of the country.
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