VZCZCXRO7092
PP RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0468 0891345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301345Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1684
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0094
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SOFIA 000468 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCRM EU IZ BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIAN TROOPS LEAVE FOR IRAQ 
 
REF: SOFIA 00267 
 
¶1. (U) A contingent of 153 soldiers departed Bulgaria March 
30 to begin its mission at Camp Ashraf, located 70 kilometers 
north of Baghdad.  The unit will replace a U.S. Army military 
police company, providing security for defectors from the 
Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), an Iranian opposition group.  Prime 
Minister Stanishev and Defense Minister Bliznakov attended a 
farewell ceremony March 29 at the unit's base in central 
Bulgaria.  In his speech to the troops, Stanishev referred to 
Bulgaria's previous contingent which was withdrawn from 
Ad-Diwaniyah in December 2005, saying the new mission marked 
the second stage of Bulgaria's contribution to stabilizing 
and democratizing Iraq. 
 
¶2. (U) Six U.S. Army personnel from Iraq provided military 
policing, detention, and non-lethal use of force training to 
the contingent in Bulgaria March 6-16.  Prior to assuming 
full responsibility for the mission, the Bulgarian unit will 
receive 21 days of additional training at Camp Ashraf.  The 
unit will be replaced by a second contingent after six 
months, fulfilling Parliament's decision to provide forces at 
the camp for one year (reftel). 
 
¶3. (SBU) All of the contingent's members are volunteers, and 
many have previously served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Kosovo. 
According to the U.S. military trainers who were here earlier 
this month, the Bulgarian contingent is a well-equipped and 
well-trained unit, able to successfully accomplish the Camp 
Ashraf mission.  The U.S. trainers were impressed by the high 
level of English proficiency of the contingent's officers and 
many of the soldiers.  The pre-departure training was vital 
in dispelling rumors concerning the mission, as well as 
boosting the overall confidence of the unit. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT.  The controversy surrounding Parliament's 
decision to send a new contingent back to Iraq (reftel) has 
almost entirely subsided.  High-level government officials 
have taken the lead in publicly supporting the mission and 
their troops.  END COMMENT. 
Beyrle