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Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Manila envoy wants Philippine troops to remain in Iraq (6:00 p.m.)
MANILA--- The Philippines' special envoy to the Middle East on Tuesday said he would recommend President Arroyo to keep the country's small troop contingent in Iraq.
"I would personally recommend the retention of Filipino troops in Iraq," Ambassador Roy Cimatu told reporters, adding that the government would make a final decision later this month.
"Although we are just maintaining a small-sized (contingent) there, we are satisfied with the quality of their work," he said of the 51-man humanitarian force.
Arroyo, a leading Asian ally of the United States, last month said she hoped the handover of sovereignty to Iraq would lessen violence against foreign nationals. There are also more than 3,000 Filipino civilian workers stationed in US facilities in Iraq.
Three Filipino workers have been killed and three soldiers wounded in Iraq since last year's occupation.
Manila originally deployed a 96-man security contingent in Iraq late last year as part of its commitment to rehabilitating the war-torn country. Around half of them have already returned, but a replacement force could be deployed once a decision is made this month. AFP
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