PanArmenian News
Dec 25 2004

ARMENIAN CONTINGENT CAN LEAVE FOR IRAQ ALREADY JANUARY 5

25.12.2004 15:04

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday by 10 p.m. at its closed sitting the
Armenian Parliament passed a decision to send Armenian military
specialists to Iraq. 91 deputies voted for it, 23 – against it, while
one abstained. Justice opposition faction and Dashnaktsutyun party,
forming part of the ruling coalition, voted against. The rest of the
factions, including the oppositionist National Unity, voted for
Armenia joining the Memorandum concluded between Poland and 19 other
countries, including Armenia. Thus, 46 Armenian specialists,
including one common commander, one signal officer at the staff of
the Polish division in Iraq, a platoon commander, three physicians (a
cardiologist, a general practitioner and a psychiatrist), 10 sappers
and 30 drivers will leave for Iraq. A salary of 600 thousand Armenian
drams will be paid to them from the state budget of Armenia, while
the US Government will cover the rest of the costs. At the same time,
a survey held by Vox Populi center for public opinion research shows
that only 6% of Armenian citizens, who took part in the study, have a
positive attitude towards sending Armenian specialists to Iraq.
Meanwhile 24% of the respondents do not have an opinion on the matter
and 60% hold a negative posture on the decision in question.
Nevertheless, in the words of the Armenian Defense Minister, the
Armenian contingent may be sent to Iraq already in January. All the
specialists leaving for Iraq are volunteers. The main doubts in the
society over the decision in question concern apprehensions regarding
the security of Armenian Diaspora in Arab countries, who can become
targets of attacks by Islamic radicals.