Free Republic

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - The only country in the Western Hemisphere besides the United States still fielding soldiers in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq may extend its troop deployment beyond a scheduled return early next year, El Salvador's president said Saturday. "We're helping the Iraqi people, and if there is the need to prolong our presence, if the authorities need it and we can help, I would not have a problem," President Tony Saca said. A decision will be made after the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq, he said. El Salvador is the only Western Hemisphere country with...

DUBAI (AFP) - The fate of Salvadoran troops in Iraq will be "hell" if their government goes ahead with plans to send fresh troops to the embattled country, a shadowy militant group warned on an Islamist website. "If you send troops to Iraq, we will not be merciful and will we not refrain from responding. Your fate will be hell like what happened to Spain and other countries," said Jamaa al-Tawhid al-Islamiya, or Islamic Unification Group. "We advise the people of El Salvador (news - web sites) not to send their sons to Iraq as we only understand the language...

<p>NAJAF, Iraq -- One of his friends was dead, 12 others lay wounded and the four soldiers still left standing were surrounded and out of ammunition. So Salvadoran Cpl. Samuel Toloza said a prayer, whipped out his knife and charged the Iraqi gunmen.</p>

NAJAF, Iraq - One of his friends was dead, 12 others lay wounded and the four soldiers still left standing were surrounded and out of ammunition. So Salvadoran Cpl. Samuel Toloza said a prayer, whipped out his switchblade knife and charged the Iraqi gunmen. In one of the only known instances of hand-to-hand combat in the Iraq (news - web sites) conflict, Toloza stabbed several attackers who were swarming around a comrade. The stunned assailants backed away momentarily, just as a relief column came to their rescue. "We never considered surrender. I was trained to fight until the end," said...

5 wounded Salvadoran soldiers flown home. The rest will stay in Nayaf.Congressman Cass Ballenger spends time with Salvadoran soldiers Coalition troops honor Natividad Mendez, killed by an al Sadr shiite mobTaps for Salvadoran hero Flying into Iraq Cuscatlan Batallion of El Salvador