Iraq's multinational peacekeeping force scrambled to regroup Monday after Spain's announcement that it would withdraw its 1,300 troops, with Honduras following suit.
Late Monday night President Ricardo Maduro announced the withdrawal of his forces "in the shortest time possible."
Meanwhile, Ukraine, Australia, Portugal, Slovakia, San Salvador and the Dominican Republic said their commitments to the multi-national force would not waver.
Honduras' 370 troops have been serving in Najaf under Spanish command, a situation that was thrown into doubt when Madrid announced its pullout plan.
The Honduran president's withdrawal announcement came hours after military spokesman, Col. Rafael Moreno said that his country's forces would remain in Iraq under Polish command.
However, Maduro said in a national television address that "I have told the coalition countries that the troops are going to return from Iraq."
The president added the soldiers would return home "in the shortest possible time and under safe conditions for our troops."
Honduras had planned to withdraw its contingent in July as scheduled, but State Department spokesman Richard Boucher suggested it might pull out earlier.
Dagoberto Rodriguez, a Maduro spokesman, said later that "the troops will leave Iraq before July," but he didn't give a specific date.
In the meantime, two Japanese hostages freed in Iraq returned home on Tuesday and Tokyo insisted it would not follow Spain's example and withdraw its troops from Iraq.
"The fact that Spain made that decision and started preparing to withdraw its troops will not change our country's policy," Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters.
Tokyo's handling of two separate incidents of Japanese civilians being taken hostage in Iraq earned public approval. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
