Latin American countries announce their withdrawal from Iraq, demanding the UN take charge. Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports No sooner had Spanish President José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero confirmed his decision to pull his country's 1,400 troops out of Iraq than two other Spanish-speaking nations decided to withdraw their own soldiers also. Arguing "no unnecessary risks should be taken," President Hipólito Mej�a of the Dominican Republic ordered last Thursday that its 300-soldier Quisqueya Task Force in Iraq return home within two weeks. Secretary of the Armed Forces Lt Gen José Miguel Soto Jiménez said that half of the contingent would return in the first week of May with the rest transferred out of Iraqi territory until their turn arrived. Mej�a had told Zapatero by telephone that his troops would remain in Iraq until the end of July, but political analysts say that mounting pressure ahead of the 16 May presidential elections in the Caribbean country might have influenced his decision to opt for an earlier withdrawal. Honduras' Ambassador to Egypt Nelson Valencia denied that his country's decision to pull its 370 troops out in the next six or eight weeks is aimed at boosting President Ricardo Maduro's image ahead of next year's general elections. "Our troops' mission was strictly humanitarian [clearing mines and providing medical care in central Iraq] according to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483/2003. One month ago, President Maduro announced that he would not ask the republic's Congress to extend the troops' mandate in Iraq. Nevertheless, Honduras is keen to continue providing political and diplomatic support to help restore the peace and stability in Iraq." Valencia told Al-Ahram Weekly. When asked if the decision has caused friction with the United States and its allies, Valencia said: "We respect every decision they take and we expect them to respect ours." Nicaragua was the first Latin American country to withdraw its troops, in line with the system of rotation that the Spanish- speaking states are following with regards to their military presence in Iraq. Last February all 115 Nicaraguan military doctors, minesweepers and Special Forces went home. The government has not sent fresh troops since, alleging lack of funds. The Foreign Ministry of Nicaragua has said that there will be no redeployment unless the UN takes charge of the military situation. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has yet to announce that there will be any peace-keeping operations undertaken by the organisation. On the other hand, while on a visit to Nicaragua, Salvadoran President-elect Tony Saca declared on 21 April that he will keep his country's troops in Iraq at least until the end of June when their mandate expires. But even if by the end of 2004 all Latin American governments have pulled out their troops they still cannot prevent civilians from travelling to Iraq. Former Chilean soldiers recently joined a subcontractor for US-based Blackwater Security Consulting as private security guards. The Chileans are willing to face the risk of working in Iraq for the $3,000 a month they can earn while there. Chile's Ambassador to Egypt Samuel Fernàndez told the Weekly that any attempt to prevent them would violate the Chilean Constitution. On the other hand, taking into consideration that no Chilean citizen has ever been kidnapped in foreign territory, no official contingency plans exist for the range of risks they face. They are on their own, in other words. Chile shares the view endorsed by other Latin American countries that the UN should take the lead in Iraq. "Our nation will only send a peace-keeping force if ordered by the UN or the Organisation of American States, as was the case of the police forces we deployed in Haiti," Fernàndez added. The Spanish and Latin American policy shift has constituted a real setback for US President George W Bush's administration. In light of the recent announcements, Bush said last Friday that he would never "allow leaders of other nations to determine the national security issues of America". Rhetoric aside, Bush knows all too well the political and strategic importance of broad international cooperation in enforcing the occupation and carrying out reconstruction tasks. Whether American policy on the ground will gain international support is largely dependent on the will of Iraqis. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that the US is drafting a new UN resolution hoping to persuade nations like Norway, the Netherlands and El Salvador to defer their withdrawal from Iraq past their July schedule. This is but a start, long overdue, but it may prove invaluable.
