Yemen might be the 1st Arab country to send troops to Iraq [Archives:2004/752/Front Page]

YT and Agencies
After the interim Iraqi government welcomed its initiative to send peacekeeping forces to Iraq under the umbrella of the United Nations or the Arab League, Yemen could be the first Arab country to send troops to Iraq. In fact, Yemen was not alone in its offer, it was also joined by Jordan which offered troops to help stabilize the country, but the Iraqi government refused Jordan's offer.
Iraq declined Jordan's offer to send troops to help stabilize the country on Saturday, but said it would welcome peacekeeping forces from Arab countries that do not share its borders.
“We welcome the support of Arab and Islamic countries…but there are many ways for these counties to stand with the Iraqi people and offer a helping hand,” Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told a news conference.
But Zebari welcomed the offer by Yemen, which does not share a border with Iraq, to send peacekeeping troops.
“With regard to Yemen's proposal, we are in principle for the participation of Arab peacekeeping troops from beyond the immediate neighbors,” Zebari said.

Tough conditions
Meanwhile, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr Al-Qirbi reiterated Yemen's willingness to send troops to Iraq provided that there is international legitimacy for such a move. But he said this will only be subject to the end of occupation and return of complete sovereignty to Iraqis. “We can send troops on the condition of issuing a new resolution from the Security Council that is clearer and more specific in this regard.” he said in an interview to the BBC.
A senior Yemeni government official reportedly said on Saturday that Yemen's offer to send peacekeeping soldiers to Iraq, saying such a move would only come after U.S.-led coalition forces have left the country.
''Yemen is willing to participate in an international peacekeeping force … after the coalition troops withdraw and Iraq regains its full sovereignty, and if the brothers in Iraq ask us to,'' the unnamed official told the Saba news agency.
About 160,000 foreign troops, mostly American, have stayed on after Monday's handover of sovereignty to the new interim government in Iraq.
The foreign troops operate under a U.N. Security Council resolution that gives them responsibility for security. Though deployed under a U.N. mandate, they operate as a coalition led by U.S. commanders.

——
[archive-e:752-v:13-y:2004-d:2004-07-05-p:front]