Defence Ministry wants to send new soldiers to Iraq

The Slovak Armed Forces want to dispatch up to 25 soldiers to Iraq this year, wrote TASR on Sunday. The mission will be carried out as part of NATO's training activities and with the consent of the Republic of Iraq. According to the Defence Ministry, Slovak soldiers will not be joining the fighting operations. They will participate in a training mission that focuses on advising and assisting the Iraqi Government in building security forces. As Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš said, "soldiers will train the instructors of the Iraqi Armed Forces in mine clearing activities and help repair Soviet-produced military equipment." The Slovak Security Council and the Government should discuss the proposal this Wednesday. Subsequently, the dispatch of soldiers will have to be approved by Parliament.