VZCZCXRO9751
PP RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0249 0471514
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161514Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1468
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0087
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFITT/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SOFIA 000249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EU IZ BU
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES APPROVE BULGARIAN MISSION 
AT CAMP ASHRAF 
 
 
¶1.  The parliamentary committees on foreign policy and 
defense voted in a joint session February 15 to approve the 
proposal to send Bulgarian military personnel to Camp Ashraf 
in Iraq.  Four MPs from the ultra-nationalist Ataka party 
voted against the proposal as expected, and the other 14 MPs 
representing the ruling three-party coalition and the center- 
right opposition supported it.  During the discussions 
attended by Defense Minister Bliznakov, Foreign Minister 
Kalfin, and CHOD Kolev, MPs from the center-right parties, 
headed by ex-PM Kostov, raised concerns that the military 
was being asked to execute police functions.  Nonetheless, 
these center-right members indicated they would back the 
decision when Parliament votes on final approval in a 
plenary session.  Most of the questions for the ministers 
came from Ataka and focused on the level of security at Camp 
Ashraf and the potential risks to the military. 
 
¶2.  The two committees will prepare separate reports 
recommending that Parliament ratify the proposal.  The 
reports are expected to be submitted early next week to 
Speaker Pirinski who will include them in the agenda for the 
plenary session, which could take place as early as February 
¶22.  Following Parliament's approval, both the decision to 
send the troops and the bilateral agreement, represented by 
an exchange of diplomatic notes between the MFA and Embassy 
Sofia, need to be published in the State Gazette.  The 
President will then issue a decree for the publication of 
the law for ratification of the bilateral agreement. 
 
BEYRLE