Number of Georgian Soldiers in Iraq to 2 000

Since 2007 the contingent of Georgian soldiers working as peacekeeping troops in Iraq and Kosovo will increase from 280 up to 2000. If Georgian peacekeepers patrolled the green line and carried out mine-clearing operations, hereafter they will be moved to the red line. Many people fail to understand why Georgia increases its contingent in the war zone while other countries have either reduced or withdrawn their troops from Iraq. 

A faction of parliamentary members has been demanding explanation on these questions for a long time; however they could not get any satisfactory information yet. The military experts also fail to understand why the peace-making contingent is increased. They demand to see the conception on the basis of what the number is increased.

The Human Rights Center asked Davit Kezerashvili, the Defense Minister, to comment on the issue. He replied in short that the increase was caused by Georgia’s integration into NATO. “Since the USA is one of our most important partners, and they need our help, the Georgian Government decided to increase the contingent to 2000. It is quite natural that this initiative would help us to integrate Georgia into NATO.”

However, the MPs have different opinion regarding the question. They claim that this initiative has nothing to do with NATO.

Mamuka Katsitadze, a representative of the “Rights Opposition” said, “the increase in Georgia’s troop contingent in Iraq is not laid out in the project of NATO. NATO is implementing its project in Afghanistan, and its aim is to locate an army there. As for the increased numbers of troops in Iraq, it depends on the state’s wish. Georgia stated that we wish to increase the number of our soldiers from 850 to 2000. Consequently, Georgia has occupied the third place after the USA and England according to the number of its soldiers in Iraq. It means we are showing off and boasting in front of the whole world. If we want to integrate into the world, if we want the whole world observed the situation in our conflict zones, we should also take active part in similar activities. However, nobody obliges us to be in the warm front. We discuss the aim of this initiative. I suppose we must be more careful regarding the situation. However, I do not think that we must be excluded from the mission. But everything must be relevant to the state demands.” 

We asked the same question to MP Giorgi Tsagareishvili, a representative of the opposition. He considers that Georgia must withdraw its military units from Iraq. “We are told that we are following partnership responsibilities. We came into these responsibilities with a coalition and the US, and I am concerned by the fact that initially 50 countries involved in the coalition but more than half of them have withdrawn their units from Iraq, while we are increasing our number. It must be pointed out that initially Georgian military units patrolled the green line, and nobody died there. Now we are moving to the so-called red line. It is in our character – we always fought for others and did others’ business throughout the history.  Remember Georgian soldiers fought in Afghanistan, India, etc. Thus, it is a bitter reality. Although the army must be permanently trained, Georgian soldiers will not make peace in Iraq. It is impossible. US soldiers have not managed. We must withdraw our army from there. Besides this, the whole coalition army should be withdrawn. It has not done any good in Iraq. Georgia must withdraw its contingent from there like France, the Ukraine, Poland and other countries did.”

The MPs do not argue that Georgia should not be involved in international peace-making activities. However, they need proof that Georgia will benefit from the increased contingent. MP Fikria Chikhradze said that the army of neither 2000 not 10,000 would assist us to integrate into NATO.

Fikria Chikhradze: “Generally, Georgia must participate in international peace-making operations. It is a cooperating principle, and Georgia must not be excluded from it. But there is another question: we need to prove how fruitful our effort is on the way to integrating into these structures. The increased contingent is not that important, I think. Unless we become a democratic country, an army of neither 2,000 nor 10,000 soldiers will assist us. Nobody is forced to go to Iraq, and it is very important for our soldiers to get good salaries there as well as valid military training. However, there is another question: how adequately will those well-trained soldiers be used in our armed formations? Aren’t they scattered upon arriving in Georgia? I think nobody cares about them afterwards.”

One of the good examples to answer this question is Colonel Archil Tsintsadze, First Georgian Defense Attaché to the US who was is an active member in the military relationship between Georgia and the US. He could not find his place in Georgian army at all. He, as a military expert, cannot understand why the military contingent is increased because there is no necessity of it at all.

Arhcil Tsintsadze: “I do appreciate our participation in peace-keeping missions. In general, the name ‘peace keeping mission’ sounds too serious. Since peace keeping missions are not properly implemented in our country, I think that we must involve more and more similar missions in order to increase their role. I was the first soldier who took part in peace keeping operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I personally established the coordinative headquarters. It was my initiative. Then, Georgian Defense Ministry was sending peace-keeping units according to the US initiative, and the contingent was similar to the political ambitions of our country. Initially, we were involved in the operations in order to show that we are with the coalition forces. As for now, I do not know what the political benefit is of increasing the contingent. I cannot observe any profit at all. We have already reaped what we could. It was the Train and Equp Program, our recognition, etc. I cannot imagine what kind of political benefits they have promised our government in exchange of increased contingent. It needs much more explanation.”

Neither parliamentary opposition nor the society will hear those explanations. The additional forces will depart to Alkuta in July.

Eka Gulua