Source:
Miami HeraldSalvadoran troops heading to Iraq remember U.S. help in the 1980s
El Salvador continues to send troops to Iraq, mindful of how U.S. aid helped train and equip its armed forces during a civil war in the 1980s
Posted on Sun, Oct. 21, 2007
By NANCY SAN MARTIN
nsanmartin@MiamiHerald.com
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El Salvador, the size of Massachusetts and with about 6.9 million people, is the only other Western Hemisphere country that remains part of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq since Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic pulled out in 2004.
Over the summer, U.S. military officials offered a rare glimpse into what it takes to prepare the Salvadoran military for work in Iraq, where there have been more than 4,000 coalition deaths since the war began.
The soldiers said they are prepared for their mission to help reconstruct Iraq despite the risks.
''My obligation is to be where I'm needed,'' said Army physician Humberto Hernández, 39, who was part of the medical support unit. ``Of course I'm a little nervous, but just slightly. I feel I have a duty to the military and my people.''
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During the 1980s, El Salvador was the largest recipient of U.S. aid in Latin America. The United States spent about $6 billion to train and equip the Salvadoran military as it held off leftist guerrillas in a civil war that left 75,000 dead and the economy in shambles. A peace accord, signed in 1992, allowed former rebels to form a political party and participate in elections.
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