Rada OKs Ukrainian troops for Iraq (06/08/03)

Rada OKs Ukrainian troops for Iraq

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Ukraine's Parliament on June 5 approved the deployment of a Ukrainian military force to take part in the U.S. stabilization force for Iraq.

By a vote of 273 for and 103 against, the lawmakers gave the go-ahead to an agreement meshed together between the United States, Great Britain and Poland in which 1,800 Ukrainian troops will be part of a 10-nation force that will perform peacekeeping operations and security work as the rebuilding effort in the war-torn country begins.

The Tymoshenko Bloc voted in near unanimity against the proposal, as did a majority of the Our Ukraine Bloc, while the Socialist and Communist faction did not participate in the voting at all.

The decision came a week after Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council had approved a request made by the United States, which was supported by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Relations the day before the final vote.

Speaking before the Rada prior to the vote on June 5, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Yevhen Marchuk made the case for Ukraine's participation. He underscored that the recommendation by the NSDC to send Ukrainian troops came only after the United Nations Security Council had approved Resolution 1483, which lifted U.N. sanctions against Iraq and supported the development of an international force to stabilize the country.

"The requirements of Ukrainian law were fulfilled with the approval of Resolution 1483," explained Mr. Marchuk, whose purpose was to convince critics in the Verkhovna Rada of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that Ukraine would not become part of an "occupying force."

And there were many such critics, led by representatives of the Communist Party. Heorhii Kriuchkov, a leading member of the Communist faction and chairman of the Rada's Foreign Relations Committee, said that while his committee approved the vote by 7-2 because Ukraine's participation in the stabilization force was "in the best interest of the country," he believed that the doubts that were being voiced need to be taken into account.

"Whether we realize it or not, this will make Ukraine part of the occupation of Iraq," explained Mr. Kriuchkov. "British Prime Minister Tony Blair today has been forced to explain to his people the reason for the invasion. This war has not yet been officially declared over. There are still attendant risks and they are considerable. Formally, our troops are going into an area that is still at war."

Mr. Marchuk rejected the assertions leveled by Mr. Kriuchkov and similar opinions expressed by other national deputies, including Oleksander Turchynov of the Tymoshenko Bloc.

Mr. Marchuk stated that the specific reason for sending Ukrainians to be part of the stabilization force was to maintain the peace, not to take part in war.

"There is no combat going on in Iraq today and there will not be any in the future, which the stabilization force will ensure," explained Mr. Marchuk.

The national security chief emphasized that Ukraine had previously had commercial interests in Iraq that amounted to $293 million (U.S.), even while sanctions were in effect, with 36 Ukrainian companies working in the country. He said that with Iraq expected to receive some $13 billion in oil exports in the next year, Ukraine would be wise to position itself to re-establish the trading partnership.

Mr. Marchuk added that if Ukraine expected to be part of the rebuilding of the war-devastated country it needed to make a peacekeeping commitment as well.

"If Ukraine does not take part in the stabilization force, it is axiomatic that no Ukrainian company will take part in the bid for rebuilding contracts," explained Mr. Marchuk.

Ukraine officially received an invitation from Poland to become part of the stabilization force two weeks ago after unofficial overtures from Washington had been made several weeks earlier. Washington initiated the effort to provide Iraq an international stabilization force to reduce its presence in the country. Poland, as one of the active combatants - along with the United States, Britain and Australia - in the international coalition that overthrew the regime of Saddam Hussein, has control over one of the three administrative sectors into which the U.S. has divided the country.

The 1,800 troops that Ukraine will contribute to the stabilization force will be deployed in the Polish zone of responsibility, located southeast of Baghdad. The deployment will include two mechanized divisions, along with the 19th Special Battalion, which specializes in the neutralization of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) threats and is already stationed in the neighboring country of Kuwait.

About 20 Ukrainian military officers will join the united command executing the U.N. resolution on the stabilization force. Ultimately, however, Ukraine's force will be subordinate to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

The Ukrainian troops who will deploy to Iraq will do so only voluntarily and after passing extensive physical examinations, noted Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. The troops are expected to be ready for deployment within 20 days, with part of the contingent on its way as early as June 12.

Mr. Marchuk noted that any political changes in the situation in Iraq could be cause to withdraw Ukraine's military force.

The United States Embassy issued a statement after the Verkhovna Rada vote in which it welcomed the decision to deploy troops as part of the Iraq stabilization force.

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