Bulgaria Pulls out All Its Troops from Iraq by December 20

by Sofia News Agency www.novinite.com

The entire Bulgarian military contingent in Iraq is going to return to Bulgaria by December 20, the Bulgarian Prime Minister (PM) Sergey Stanishev and Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev announced at a press conference on Thursday. The move would put an end to the entire participation of Bulgaria in any Iraq missions. The mandate of the Bulgarian contingent in Iraq expires on December 31, 2008. The PM pointed out that the withdrawal of the Bulgarian troops did not have any connection with the U.S. Presidential Elections results, as it has been speculated lately by local media and politicians. Stanishev stated that the dislocation of the Bulgarian contingent in Iraq has been a pre-election commitment of his party - the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) that has been successfully fulfilled. "The current move is not an irresponsible act towards our partners," the PM said, reminding about the withdrawal stages of Bulgarian missions in Iraq and naming all Bulgarian rangers that have died while doing their duty. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin added that during the five years of deployment of Bulgarian forces in Iraq, the Bulgarian military men have accomplished all their assignments while the deployment's cost was over BGN 155 M of the taxpayers money. Bulgaria stationed troops in Iraq in 2003, after the US-led coalition forces forces ousted Saddam Husein from power. Between 2003 and 2006 the 500-strong Bulgarian unit was stationed in the city of Kerbala. In 2006 it was reduced to 150-strong detachment, which is still in charge of guarding of the Iranian refugees camp Ashraf in eastern Iraq,the seat of the People's Mujahedin of Iran. Bulgaria has so far lost a total of eleven soldiers in Iraq. On December 27, 2003, five Bulgarians were killed in a terrorist attack on the India Base in Kerbala. Two more Bulgarian soldiers were killed in 2004. Three Bulgarian rangers died in road accidents in 2005, and one was killed by "friendly" fire the same year.

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