Thai troops to leave Iraq
2004-06-16 14:48
Bangkok - Thai troops will leave Iraq by September after completing a one-year deployment, and their equipment will start being shipped out next month, military authorities said on Wednesday.
The military's Supreme Commander Somdhat Attanand approved the departure of 451 Thai troops by September 20 and said that the United States would shoulder the cost of the exercise.
"The Supreme Commander has approved the pull-out of the task force after the Thai troops finish their one-year mission," the military said in a statement.
"The equipment transfer will start from mid-July while the troops will withdraw by September 20," it said.
The defence ministry and task force chief could still order a withdrawal or a move to another neighbouring country if the security situation deteriorated, it said, adding that an emergency contingency plan was already in place.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered the one-year deployment of a contingent of engineers, medics and a surveillance platoon last September after remaining neutral during the invasion of Iraq.
Two Thai soldiers were killed in a car bomb and mortar attack in December in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Karbala, where the contingent has been stationed.
The presence of the troops has been hotly debated as violence in Iraq worsened, triggering the withdrawal of troops from Spain, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
- AFP