Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
VILNIUS, Dec 15 (AFP) - Lithuania's parliament Thursday voted against a
resolution calling for immediate withdrawal of Vilnius's troops from the
US-led international operation in Iraq, parliament's information bureau
reported.
A total of 14 legislators voted for the resolution, 18 were against it and
25 abstained.
However, in a later vote parliamentarians decided to debate the issue again
in the future.
The presence of Lithuanian troops in Iraq became a hot issue this week when
parliamentary speaker Arturas Paulauskas said Vilnius should reconsider its
position on deployment of its forces.
Vaclov Stankevic, head of parliament's NATO commission, said Thursday
Lithuania should reduce its presence in Iraq and concentrate on its mission
in Afghanistan, where it leads one of the Atlantic alliance's reconstruction
teams.
Some 100 troops from Lithuania, which joined the European Union in March
2004, are currently deployed in Iraq as part of a Polish and Danish
battalion.
Another 100 serve in the mission in Afghanistan.
resolution calling for immediate withdrawal of Vilnius's troops from the
US-led international operation in Iraq, parliament's information bureau
reported.
A total of 14 legislators voted for the resolution, 18 were against it and
25 abstained.
However, in a later vote parliamentarians decided to debate the issue again
in the future.
The presence of Lithuanian troops in Iraq became a hot issue this week when
parliamentary speaker Arturas Paulauskas said Vilnius should reconsider its
position on deployment of its forces.
Vaclov Stankevic, head of parliament's NATO commission, said Thursday
Lithuania should reduce its presence in Iraq and concentrate on its mission
in Afghanistan, where it leads one of the Atlantic alliance's reconstruction
teams.
Some 100 troops from Lithuania, which joined the European Union in March
2004, are currently deployed in Iraq as part of a Polish and Danish
battalion.
Another 100 serve in the mission in Afghanistan.