| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.12, No.13, 6.4.06 |
| Publication Date | 06/04/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 06/04/06 The EU is debating whether to expand its role in Iraq after a rule of law mission expires in the summer. As yet member states are undecid- ed on whether to increase the size of the mission and whether to conduct operations inside Iraq. The mission is to end on 30 June, after 12 months of training senior law enforcement officials outside Iraq. Poland, for example, has 20 places reserved for Iraqis at its Legionowo police training facility a short distance from Warsaw. Although small, the mission - code-named EUJUST LEX - is the EU's major non- financial contribution to improving Iraq's security. EU diplomats expressed confidence that EUJUST LEX, which aims to train 770 judges, magistrates and senior police officers by the end of the year, would be extended. But security concerns look set to block any move to conduct training inside the country, which supporters say would be more efficient, as well as being a political signal of EU engagement. "We have to ask how important a footprint in Iraq is," said one diplomat from a member state which opposed the Iraq war. A diplomat from a country that supported the invasion said: "If the security is ok we will support the idea of organising training inside Iraq." The US ambassador to the EU, C. Boyden Gray, said he understood why member states wanted to conduct training outside Iraq. "We are also doing some of our training outside Iraq," he added. The delay in form- ing an Iraqi government is complicating the debate as diplomats say the mission's future would depend on the concerns and needs articulated by the government. Article reports on debates in the European Union whether to expand its role in Iraq after the rule of law mission code-named EUJUST LEX was to expire on 30 June 2006. The mission which had originally been planned to run for 12 months aimed to train 770 judges, magistrates and senior police officers. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Security and Defence |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Middle East |
