http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayArticle.asp?col=§ion=focusoniraq&xfile=data/focusoniraq/2005/February/focusoniraq_February77.xmlLISBON - The 127 Portuguese police serving in Iraq are returning home Thursday after completing their planned 15 months of duty, officials said Wednesday.
The contingent halted its patrols in the southern city of Nasiriyah soon after Iraq’s Jan. 30 national elections and since then have been preparing for the withdrawal, according to Tavares Belo, a spokesman at Lisbon police headquarters.
The contingent, which served under Italian command, was first deployed in November 2003 and was scheduled to return to Portugal by February 12.
Portugal’s conservative government has been a vocal supporter of U.S efforts in Iraq, but President Jorge Sampaio refused to allow the deployment of troops without United Nations backing for the US-led invasion.
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