Troops not recalled from Iraq

“Romania will not withdraw its troops from Iraq,” Defence Minister Ioan Mircea Pascu announced, adding the decision of Spain’s new Premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to recall the troops in Iraq would be debated during the NATO summit in Madrid. Pascu said he had received no official request from the coalition for sending more troops. There are 200 Romanian troops in Iraq at the moment. The Defence Minister added Romania’s Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana had asked Zapatero to reconsider, as other countries would do, as well. When the Spanish Prime Minster announced his decision, all the countries that have military personnel stationed in Iraq were quick to react. Political or military leaders from Japan, Poland, UK, Czech Republic or Ukraine said they were not backing out of Iraq. The United States announced through the commanding officer of its troops in Iraq, Richard Sanchez, that the vacancy created by the withdrawal of the 1,300 Spanish troops could be easily filled. British Foreign Minister Jack Straw feels no country can be come safer if it takes one step back in the fight against terrorism. ZF