Hungary Will Withdraw Troops From Iraq

03/11/2004| IslamWeb

Hungary will withdraw its 300 troops from Iraq by March 31, 2005, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said at a military ceremony. "To stay there until the elections are held is our duty," Gyurcsany said Wednesday, referring to elections set for January in Iraq. "To stay there much longer is impossible. That is why by March 31, 2005, we are withdrawing our troops from Iraq." The parliamentary mandate for Hungary's mission in Iraq is due to expire on December 31, and a defence ministry spokesman said the government would on Monday ask parliament to extend it until March 31. "We will ask parliament on Monday to extend the mandate of our troops in Iraq until March 31," ministry spokesman Peter Matyuc told AFP. The legislature needs to approve an extension with a two-thirds majority. Defence Minister Ferenc Juhasz admitted last week that the Socialist coalition would have face an uphill battle extending the mandate as the conservative opposition has urged the withdrawal of the troops. Juhasz told AFP it would be all the more difficult as most Hungarians also oppose the troop presence in Iraq. "If we decide to stay we would create serious domestic political conflict since most people would disagree," he said. The defence minister said that Hungary would wait until after the US presidential election to announce a decision as it did not want the matter to become a campaign issue. Hungary is one of 30 countries that contributed troops to the US-led force in Iraq in March 2003. Several allies have since withdrawn, including the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Spain. The Hungarian soldiers are based at Hilla, 100 kilometers (65 miles) south of Baghdad under Polish command and has so far suffered one fatality when a soldier was killed by a bomb south of Baghdad in June. Warsaw is due to begin scaling down its troops in Iraq in January. Juhasz has said that if Hungary, a member of NATO, opted for withdrawal it would look for other military missions abroad to which it could contribute the troops currently serving in Iraq. The country currently has 1,000 troops taking part in international peace-keeping missions, including Afghanistan. Hungary abandoned its military draft system after 136 years and Gyuarscany made the announcement on Iraq at a ceremony where the country's last conscripts marked the end of their military service. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Hungarian Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, in front of a war chariot of the Budapest's Hero's Square, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004 in Budapest, Hungary. (AP)