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25 June 2004

Iraqi Prime Minister Requests NATO Support

Requests training, technical assistance for security forces

Iraqi Prime Minister Ilyad Allawi has requested NATO support through training and technical assistance for Iraqi security forces, according to the NATO web site.

Allawi conveyed his request by letter to NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer June 22. The NATO web site said it was the first formal contact between the interim Iraqi government and the alliance.

The secretary-general forwarded the request to the member countries for their consideration prior to discussions to be held at the NATO Summit June 28 and 29 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Currently, NATO is not directly involved in Iraq security operations, although it is providing technical support to Poland for Poland's operations in central Iraq.

Following is the text of a NATO news update:

(begin text)

Iraqi government requests assistance from NATO

In a letter sent to the NATO Secretary General on 22 June, the interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ilyad Allawi requested NATO support through training and other forms of technical assistance.

The letter is the first formal contact between the Alliance and the interim Iraqi administration. It requests Alliance assistance in developing the country's security forces after the transfer from the US-led coalition to Iraq on 30 June, as well as other forms of technical assistance.

The Secretary General has forwarded the request to NATO member countries. The issue will be discussed at the Summit meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government in Istanbul, 28 and 29 June.

At present, NATO does not have a direct role in the international stabilization force in Iraq. So far, it has been providing support to Poland, which is leading a multinational division in Iraq's central province, in the form of force generation, secure communications, logistics, movement coordination, intelligence and logistics expertise.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=June&x=20040625130336ndyblehs0.77055&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html