This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 001000 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NCE AND NEA/I 
NSC PLEASE PASS DAMON WILSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR IZ LO
SUBJECT: IRAQI MILITARY POLICE OFFICERS GRADUATE FROM 
SLOVAK TRAINING 
 
¶1.  Charge and DAO attended the December 19 graduation 
ceremony of 14 Iraqi military police officers from the Slovak 
Military Medical Training Center at Lest.  In his remarks to 
the group, Slovak MinDef Liska praised and congratulated the 
Iraqi soldiers, stressing the need for the international 
community to continue supporting the Iraqi people on their 
road to a secure, democratic future.  Liska said Slovakia 
would maintain its training of Iraqi soldiers and its 
commitment to the security and development of democracy in 
Iraq more generally.  Liska also made the point that the more 
Iraqis the coalition can train, the greater the prospects for 
return for Slovak forces deployed there.  MinDef officials 
told us they would be happy to host additional groups in the 
future, and would continue to train Iraqis in Iraq. 
 
¶2.  The Iraqis -- of all ranks and representing all 
geographical parts of Iraq -- were beaming.  In conversations 
with the Charge and DAO, they went on at length about their 
determination to help secure their country.  The group's 
leader, Capt. Hussein Hussein, stressed to Charge that while 
the security threats remained serious, they would ultimately 
be seen as a temporary period in Iraqi history on the way to 
a much brighter future.  Most Iraqis had never known life 
except under dictatorship; they would increasingly turn 
against the insurgents.  Capt. Hussein smiled as he said that 
he envisioned his country as an example to the rest of the 
Arab world that it can democratize. 
 
¶3.  All of the soldiers were extremely thankful for U.S. 
assistance and greatly appreciated our presence at their 
graduation.  They feel they have learned a great deal that 
will help them in their security responsibilities and that 
they will pass along to the different units they will join 
when they return to Iraq (NOTE:  They depart Slovakia for 
Iraq Dec. 21.  END NOTE).  They were also quick to make the 
case to us that they felt they were doing their jobs as 
"Iraqis," not Kurds or Arabs, Sunni or Shia (the only two 
female graduates in the group were both Kurds). 
 
¶4.  The Iraqis look forward to further cooperation with the 
Slovaks, and the Slovak trainers considered the Iraqis to be 
good, hardworking students.  Iraqi Ambassador to Austria and 
Slovakia (resident in Vienna), Tariq Aqrawi, voiced similar 
sentiments.  He also used his remarks to his Slovak hosts to 
express the hope that Iraq would soon set up an Embassy in 
Bratislava, something he has recommended to his Ministry in 
Baghdad. 
SILVERMAN 
 
 
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