MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Recruiting for peace keeping operations

A top level delegation of Spanish and United States Defence officials is currently in Chile trying to convince the Chilean government of a greater participation in international peace keeping missions, among which Iraq.

Spanish Defence Secretary Fernando Díez Moreno and Pentagon officials headed by US Defence Deputy Secretary Dov S. Zakheim are scheduled to meet Chilean Foreign Affairs Under Secretary Cristian Barros and Defence Under Secretary Gabriel Gaspar. The Chilean government has downplayed the visit describing it as "private" and with "no press".

However Chilean sources revealed that given the country's refusal to send troops to Iraq the delegation have requested a greater peace commitment in such places as Bosnia, Cyprus and Afghanistan, to help alleviate international contingents that could then be re-deployed in Iraq. Chileans are already stationed under United Nations command in Bosnia and Cyprus.

Before arriving in Santiago the high level delegation visited landlocked Paraguay, Mercosur less developed member, with similar purpose, trying to convince the government to actively participate in UN peace missions.

With this in mind next March British officers will be lecturing in Asunción, capital of Paraguay, Mercosur Armed Forces officers and government officials on peace keeping and peace enforcement missions overseas.

Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay contribute with observers, troops and equipment in United Nations peace keeping operations. Particularly Uruguay has been involved since the early fifties and is currently in nine different conflict theatres in four continents.

Paraguay, heavily indebted with its economy in recession still suffering the reverberations of the Argentine financial meltdown and the Brazilian stagnation, plus several domestic financial scandals and political fragility, could be a candidate for sending troops overseas.

It could also help civilian rule advance while military influence in the country's politics recedes.