• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

500 Pak mariners to leave for Iraq next week: report

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 28, IRNA -- A contingent of the Pakistan Navy will 
leave for Iraq next week, a local publication reported Sunday. 
"The first contingent of the Pakistan Navy consisting of 500 will 
leave for Iraq in the last week of March from the Karachi port," The 
News daily reported in its Internet version. 
According to the daily, sources which demanded anonymity disclosed
that the Pakistani contingent would not take part in combat missions 
but in relief activities and patrols within Iraqi sea limits. 
Pakistan was named a major non-NATO ally of the United States two 
weeks ago during a visit to Islamabad of US Secretary of State 
Colin Powell. The visit of the US top diplomat was immediately 
followed by that of high-brass General John Abizaid, commander of 
the US Central Command, who held talks with senior Pakistani leaders 
here. 
The reports also suggested that US Defense Secretary Donald 
Rumsfeld is scheduled to visit Pakistan shortly. 
When asked, the sources declined to link the upcoming US defense 
secretary`s visit to the deployment of Pakistani troops in Iraq, 
The News added. 
Pakistan had extended logisitical support to US troops in the war 
in Afghanistan and has handed over a large number of suspected Taliban
and Al-Qaeda militants to Washington captured in its soil. 
However, the planned move would be the Pakistani government`s 
first deployment of troops to help US forces outside Pakistan. 
Islamic groups furiously reacted when reports broke out last year 
that Islamabad may deploy troops to Iraq under the US flag. 
Official sources rejected the reports, however, saying they saw 
no basic problem in sending Pakistani forces operating within the UN 
or OIC framework. 
The report on the despatch of Pak Navy troops is yet to be 
confirmed by military and government spokesmen because Sunday happens 
to be a holiday. 
TSH/LS/210 
End