Armenian parliament to consider deploying 50 troops to Iraq

AP Worldstream
Sep 14, 2004

The Armenian parliament will soon consider plans to send about 50
troops to Iraq, lawmakers said Tuesday, a move that has raised some
concern in this ex-Soviet republic.

Artur Bagdasarian, speaker of the Armenian parliament, said a decision
will only be taken after “serious discussion.” He said debate would
begin soon, but did not give an exact date.

The Armenian parliament is dominated by pro-government politicians,
making it likely the measure will pass.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian pledged the troops during a visit
to Poland last week. The Armenian soldiers _ primarily bomb disposal
experts, doctors and transport teams _ would work under Polish command,
joining roughly 6,500 troops from 16 nations stationed in the Polish
contingent in central Iraq.

Armenia has sought to portray the decision to send troops to Iraq as
a way to boost ties with Europe. Critics worry that it will endanger
the 25,000-person Armenian community living in Iraq.

Gen. Lt. Yuri Khachaturov, a deputy defense minister, has suggested
that sending troops to Iraq could “lead to problems in Armenian
society and in Armenia as a whole.” He insisted Tuesday that his
remarks shouldn’t be misinterpreted as opposition to the defense
ministry or senior officials, but rather as the opinion of a person
who has experienced war.

The Democratic Party of Armenia, which is part of the opposition
Justice bloc, called on lawmakers to reject the proposal to send
troops, saying it “is against our national interests, the interest
of state security and would create a threat for our countrymen,
especially those living in Muslim nations.”