Georgia’s “Peacekeeping” Role in Iraq

Georgia’s “Peacekeeping” Role in Iraq

The active participation of Georgia in the war in Iraq and the significant increase in the number of Georgian “peacekeepers” in Iraq may seriously threaten Georgia’s security. The Human Rights Information and Documentation Center, a local Georgian NGO, has expressed several times its opposition to Georgia’s “peacekeeping” role in  Iraq. According to Ucha Nanuashvili, Executive Director of the Center, the Government’s policy to increase the number of Georgian soldiers deployed to Iraq with a “peacekeeping mission” to 850, will be destructive for Georgia in future. In addition, unlike American soldiers who receive thousands of dollars for their service, the Georgian soldiers only receive 600 USD  as an allowance, and they reportedly do not even receive this money on time.

One of the main priorities of the new Georgian Government has proved to be the financing and strengthening of the military. Recently, Americans have been intensively providing Georgian soldiers with military training and equipment. The majority of these trained Georgian soldiers are being sent to Iraq with a “peacekeeping mission” for which their task is to keep “peace and stability” in the region. With the decision of the Georgian new Government to send additional military units to Iraq, the number of Georgian peacekeepers has increased from 159 to 850.

Millions of people all over the world have protested the war in Iraq, including many people in Georgia. According to Ucha Nanuashvili, Executive Director of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center, a local Georgian NGO, and one of the organizers of the peaceful protests that have taken place in Georgia, the Iraq war  is a shameful war for oil.

According to Nanuashvili, by participating in the war in Iraq, the Georgian Government may be threatening the security of the country, because there is a large danger that terrorist acts will be conducted in Georgia as a result of this participation. Nanuashvili has recently stated that “there is almost no security system in Georgia and the Government lacks the far- reaching look regarding what such active support in the war may bring”.  According to Nanuashvili “the fact itself that 850 out of 2500 soldiers of Commandos Battalion trained by the Americans are to be sent to Iraq with a ”peacekeeping mission”, makes it clear that America is training the soldiers for itself and it does not look like a support . ”

The Georgian peacekeepers are also reportedly receiving substantially lower allowances than their fellow American soldiers. Nanuashvili recently stated that “ as it is known to me each Georgian military servant going to Iraq receives 600USD as an allowance and according to the information that I have even this amount of money is not given to them in due time; the same work is done by American soldiers for several thousand of dollars. The mentioned issues need to be followed by a strong reaction from the public but, unfortunately, the Government and media do not pay any attention to them“.

 Nino Bestavashvili