TBILISI, October 26 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia's Defense Ministry said Thursday it will send a new contingent to Iraq in early November.
Servicemen of the 31st light infantry battalion have been trained as part of the U.S. Sustainment and Stability Operations Program, and will replace 300 troops serving in the coalition forces in Iraq. Some 850 Georgian troops are currently deployed in Iraq.
The Sustainment and Stability Operations Program was launched in March 2005 in Georgia, whose President Mikheil Saakashvili is known for his Western leanings and desire to take the country into NATO.
Three battalions of 1,500 servicemen have been trained under this program. In July 2006, the United States and Georgia decided to train another 2,500-strong Georgian brigade.
