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30 July 2004

U.S. Welcomes NATO Decision to Train Iraqi Security Forces

NATO to begin training personnel in August

The United States has welcomed NATO's agreement to establish a Training Implementation Mission in Iraq. NATO's July 30 announcement regarding the new mission follows up on a commitment made by NATO leaders at the organization's June summit in Istanbul.

According to a NATO press release, the organization will start training Iraqi security forces in August.

In a July 30 press release from the State Department, deputy spokesman Adam Ereli characterized the NATO decision as "further evidence of Allied support for the independence and sovereignty of Iraq and for freedom, democracy, and stability for the Iraqi people."

Following is the text of Ereli's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2004
2004/847

STATEMENT BY ADAM ERELI, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN

NATO Training Mission in Iraq

The United States welcomes the July 30 agreement by NATO to establish a Training Implementation Mission in Iraq. This decision will help realize the commitment NATO leaders made in June at the Istanbul Summit to assist the Iraqi Interim Government with the training of its security forces.

The Training Implementation Mission will be a collective NATO mission, and it will work closely with the Iraqi Interim Government and the Multinational Force for Iraq. The mission will begin deployment to Iraq and training Iraqi personnel in August and will also develop more detailed proposals for NATO training by September 15.

The U.S. welcomes NATO's commitment to implement quickly the decision reached at Istanbul. It is further evidence of Allied support for the independence and sovereignty of Iraq and for freedom, democracy, and stability for the Iraqi people.

(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=July&x=20040730181949ndyblehs0.93594&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html