Peacekeepers Departure to Iraq Postponed Again

Around 200 Georgian peacekeepers? departure to Iraq was postponed again from February 20 to a later date, supposedly for February 26.

Peacekeeping troops? departure was originally scheduled February 2 to join a detachment of 70 mine-clearing experts and doctors who were sent to Iraq last August and were stationed in the town of Tikrit.

?Dispatching of the troops was postponed for several times, because no U.S. transport aircraft were available,? Nino Sturua, spokesperson for the Defense Ministry told Civil Georgia on February 21.

Georgia intends to send 500 more soldiers to Iraq by the summer 2004.