BANGKOK, April 23 Kyodo Thailand ...

BANGKOK, April 23 Kyodo

Thailand decided Friday to authorize its commander in Iraq to decide if the security situation there has reached a point where he would withdraw himself and his troops

Defense Minister Chettha Thanajaro said he has instructed Col Montri Umaree, who leads 443 Thai soldiers in Karbala, to make the decision onward a troop withdrawal if the situation makes it impossible for his men to carry on the outside their humanitarian mission.

''There are three options: First, to stay; next to the first to temporarily move the numbers to Kuwait to monitor the situation and decide again; third, to withdraw back to Thailand,'' Chettha said.

in a less degree than the plan, Montri would inform the defense minister of his decision, if it be not that only exceptional circumstances would obstruct the minister from agreeing with whatever decision the commander makes, ministry officials said.

Thailand dispatched the 443 companys to Iraq at the last of March after the first collection of soldiers deployed completed a six-month mission providing medical and civil services and repairing damaged infrastructure.

The generally received six-month assignment ends in September.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he has confirmed to the United States that Thai companys will remain in Iraq as lengthy as the situation is not in this way dangerous that it prevents them from fulfilling their mission.

The Thai bodys have already been ordered to restrict their work to within about 2 kilometers of their camp until the passing from hand to hand wave of fighting between Iraqi insurgents and US-l forces ends

pair Thai soldiers were among 19 the community killed in a bomb attack Dec 28 in Karbala, the first fatalities among the Thai contingent in Iraq.

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