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Azad Hye Online, United Arab Emirates
Jan 19 2005
Iraqi Armenians: Armenian troops deployed in Iraq through Kuwait
AZAD-HYE (19 January 2005): For few month now we have been running a
pole about the deployment of Armenian troops in Iraq. The result is:
83% do not agree, 17% agrees (number of participants: 29). This
picture reflects the opinion of the general Armenian public. We
suppose that the number of opponents in the Diaspora is higher than
in Armenia, but judging from the opinions heard on the National
Armenian TV, the majority of the Armenians worldwide disagree with
the deployment of the troops, considering it dangerous for the
soldiers themselves and the Armenians living in Iraq.
On 18th January 2005 an Armenian peacekeeping regiment of 46 soldiers
(3 doctors, 10 bomb disposal experts, 30 drivers and 3 officers)
headed for Iraq to be positioned in the Shiite city of Karbala and
nearby al-Hila for one year, undertaking non-combat activities under
the command of the Polish contingent. Initially, the regiment will
remain two weeks in Kuwait, where it will receive additional training
and will be introduced to the nature of its duties.
The majority of the members in the Armenian National Assembly
(Parliament) voted last December (2004) in favor of the deployment of
the regiment, although recent polls indicated that the general public
does not support the move. Many fear that such a presence would
endanger the interests of the 20 thousand Armenians living in Iraq,
who can become target of violence. There are reports that Armenians
are afraid to go out of their homes or attend Churches or send their
children to schools. One of the Armenian churches in Baghdad and
another one in Mosul were damaged by separate attacks last year.
It is obvious that the Armenian Government was caught in a delicate
situation: from one side the public opinion and the desire of the
majority of the Armenians and from the other side the geopolitical
concerns and the future role of Armenia in the region. This was
reflected in the speech of Defence Minister Serge Sarkissian as he
addressed the troops in the airport saying "This day is very
important for Armenian armed forces. We cannot stay away from
international processes geared toward promoting stability and peace
in our region, particularly in Iraq".
Jan 19 2005
Iraqi Armenians: Armenian troops deployed in Iraq through Kuwait
AZAD-HYE (19 January 2005): For few month now we have been running a
pole about the deployment of Armenian troops in Iraq. The result is:
83% do not agree, 17% agrees (number of participants: 29). This
picture reflects the opinion of the general Armenian public. We
suppose that the number of opponents in the Diaspora is higher than
in Armenia, but judging from the opinions heard on the National
Armenian TV, the majority of the Armenians worldwide disagree with
the deployment of the troops, considering it dangerous for the
soldiers themselves and the Armenians living in Iraq.
On 18th January 2005 an Armenian peacekeeping regiment of 46 soldiers
(3 doctors, 10 bomb disposal experts, 30 drivers and 3 officers)
headed for Iraq to be positioned in the Shiite city of Karbala and
nearby al-Hila for one year, undertaking non-combat activities under
the command of the Polish contingent. Initially, the regiment will
remain two weeks in Kuwait, where it will receive additional training
and will be introduced to the nature of its duties.
The majority of the members in the Armenian National Assembly
(Parliament) voted last December (2004) in favor of the deployment of
the regiment, although recent polls indicated that the general public
does not support the move. Many fear that such a presence would
endanger the interests of the 20 thousand Armenians living in Iraq,
who can become target of violence. There are reports that Armenians
are afraid to go out of their homes or attend Churches or send their
children to schools. One of the Armenian churches in Baghdad and
another one in Mosul were damaged by separate attacks last year.
It is obvious that the Armenian Government was caught in a delicate
situation: from one side the public opinion and the desire of the
majority of the Armenians and from the other side the geopolitical
concerns and the future role of Armenia in the region. This was
reflected in the speech of Defence Minister Serge Sarkissian as he
addressed the troops in the airport saying "This day is very
important for Armenian armed forces. We cannot stay away from
international processes geared toward promoting stability and peace
in our region, particularly in Iraq".