Ukrainian party urges withdrawal of troops from Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 08, 2004

Ukrainian party urges withdrawal of troops from Iraq

The Ukrainian Communist Party on Wednesday asked the government to withdraw troops from Iraq after several Ukrainian casualties there.

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The Ukrainian Communist Party on Wednesday asked the government to withdraw troops from Iraq after several Ukrainian casualties there.

The party's first secretary, Petr Simonenko, said his party has submitted a bill on troops withdrawal to the Supreme Council, the country's parliament, for consideration.

The Ukrainian forces are faced with a "very complicated situation" in Iraq, and neither American nor Polish troops based there could offer help, Simonenko said.

"The life of our soldiers are threatened. We must pass the bill (of troops withdrawal) quickly," Simonenko said.

Igory Alexeiev, a Communist lawmaker, told a Supreme Council meeting that Ukrainian soldiers in Iraq are not defending the interests of Ukraine, but those of the United States.

He also said bombing attacks in Spain indicates Ukraine may suffer similar attacks.

Ukraine opposed the US-led war against Iraq, but has a contingent of 1,600 soldiers serving under Polish command in south of the country. It is the fourth-largest among dozens of countries that have sent troops there apart from the United States.

One Ukrainian soldier was killed in clashes with militants in the Iraqi city of Kut on Tuesday, adding the death toll to four of Ukrainian troops in Iraq.

Source: Xinhua

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