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Salvador president to send fresh troops to Iraq

San Salvador / AFP
07/15/2005

Salvadoran President Antonio Saca appeared willing Wednesday to send a fresh military contingent to Iraq, as his country remains the only Latin American nation with troops in the war-torn country.

A fifth contingent of 380 soldiers are in a base east of San Salvador, waiting for Saca to give the deployment order.

The 380 Salvadoran troops currently in Iraq "have made a humanitarian contribution," he said, adding "you have to finish what you started."

Iraqis must have a security force that can protect the country, but "that has not happened yet," said Saca, who will meet US President George W. Bush at the White House on Friday to talk about free trade and terrorism. He said Iraq was not on the agenda, however. Saca used similar arguments in February to justify sending fresh troops.