Posted on 02/21/2005 7:07:47 PM PST by iso
MURRAY BREWSTER, Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) - Canada will contribute up to 30 soldiers to a NATO-led force that will help train the new Iraqi army, senior federal officials confirmed Friday.
The formal announcement will be made when Prime Minister Paul Martin gathers with other leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting Tuesday in Brussels.
Ottawa also plans to contribute $1 million towards a NATO-managed trust fund that will help pay the expenses of Iraqi officers who take part in the program.
The troops will likely not conduct the training in Iraq itself, but in neighbouring Jordan, said the officials, who asked not to be named.
Even though free elections have been held in Iraq, "most NATO members are still reluctant to send troops directly into the country" given the level of violence, said one official.
NATO leaders agreed in June to establish a training program, the size and scope of which has yet to be determined.
Media reports earlier this month suggested that the United States had directly asked Canada to send training troops directly to Baghdad.
The officials, who spoke Friday, denied that Washington issued a direct bilateral request and emphasized the plan has always been to base the training operation in Jordan, where RCMP members are already educating Iraqi police officers.
Details, such as when the instructors will be deployed and how long they'll be away, have to be finalized.
Martin will also discuss with other NATO leaders the alliance plan to expand its peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
Troops, including a Canadian provincial reconstruction team of up to 250 members, will be sent to the southern part of the war-torn country.
Agreement on the Afghan mission came this week after Italy, Spain and Lithuania committed hundreds of troops to support U.S. forces that will switch to NATO command.
Canada already has 700 troops in Kabul as part of the international force meant to bring stability to the country.
During the NATO summit, Martin will also meet Victor Yushchenko, the newly elected president of Ukraine.
The Canadian Press, 2005
The borrowed Cessnas had to be returned and the only thing left were 2 biplanes that cannot do in air refueling.
But Canada anounced they would substitute the Navy... the Navy said we only have one ship and it is currently on watch for American left refugees. We would not want our brother leftists to drown.
Besides the Navy personel do not have enough private funds to pay the fuel charges.
Are they going to get there on a Canadian submarine?
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