London to Host Meeting on Setting Iraq Stabilization Force

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 08, 2003

London to Host Meeting on Setting Iraq Stabilization Force

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Britain will host a meeting on how to establish a US-led international "stabilization" force in Iraq on Thursday, when military officials from 12 to 15 nations are to discuss the contributions their countries could make.

The meeting, following last week's conference on the same issue,was expected to "bring many people who are willing to contribute together to discuss what kind of things the force wants and what people prepare to offer," a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday.

Britain, the staunchest US ally in the war with Iraq, began to coordinate the force-building effort on April 30, when a private meeting drew together military representatives from 16 countries to discuss "the continuing requirement to provide security to Iraq."

No firm announcement would be made after the working-level meeting, the spokesman said, adding that he was not sure if there would be some kind of clear conclusion.

Actually, the coming meeting was only one of many meetings of this kind that expected to come in the future, he added.

Asked about the size of British contribution to the "stabilization" force, the spokesman said, "We are working in southern Iraq already. We are actually staying there for the time being."

Britain, which committed about 45,000 troops to the US-led war with Iraq, has announced that by mid-May, British military personnel in the Gulf would be reduced to about 25,000 to 30,000.

The spokesman declined to confirm the names of the nations thatwould attend the meeting, saying that it could not be confirmed until Thursday.

Local reports said the meeting was expected to include members of the "coalitions the willing" that backed the US-led war that toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Poland, which strongly support the US tough line on Iraq, said Tuesday that the US and its war allies were planning to divide Iraq into four military sectors that would be patrolled by US, British and Polish troops, and possibly troops from other nations.

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