Latvia considering sending troops to Iraq: Official
Latvian is considering sending military personnel to Iraq on a non-combat mission to join a purported US-led military campaign against the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, a defense official says.
Latvian Defense Ministry spokesman Kaspars Galkins ruled out a “combat role” by the military forces if the deployment does occur, saying the forces would train local units to fight terrorists if a political decision is made to send them to the Arab country, Sputnik news service reported.
“In any case, politicians are to decide on Latvia’s participation in this operation,” the spokesman stressed.
He did not provide any information about the potential number of the soldiers that may be dispatched to Iraq from Latvia, a NATO member state.
Other NATO countries
Estonian daily Postimees also reported on October 26 that Estonia, another NATO member, may send its military personnel to Iraq to train soldiers fighting against Daesh terrorists.
On April 14, Hungarian lawmakers voted to dispatch up to 150 soldiers to help guard a military training center in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region as part of the US-led military coalition.
Last year, Hungary sent ammunition to Iraq to help the armed forces in their fight against Daesh.
The United States along with some of its regional allies has allegedly been conducting airstrikes against Takfiri Daesh terrorists inside Iraq since August 2014.
They extended the aerial campaign against alleged Daesh positions to neighboring Syria without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate in September 2014.
This is while many of the countries that have joined the coalition – such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar – have been staunch supporters of Takfiri elements fighting the Syrian government.
Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since Daesh terrorists launched an offensive in June 2014 and took control of parts of the Iraqi territory.
Units of army soldiers accompanied by volunteer fighters from Popular Mobilization Units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.
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