President Hipolito Mejia was on hand to personally greet 260 of the 303
soldiers and police returning from Iraq as part of the Quisqueya II Task Force
of the Plus Ultra Brigade that had been under Spanish command. The troops
arrived on a special Air Europa flight, which came from Kuwait and had made a
stopover in Spain, landing at 8:15pm at Las Americas International airport. US
Ambassador Hans Hertell and Spanish Ambassador Maria de Jesus Figa Lopez, as
well as Armed Forces Minister Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez and Police Chief Jaime
Marte Martinez, were also part of the receiving line to welcome back the troops.
Of the 303 Dominican troops sent earlier this year to Iraq, 43 stayed on in
Kuwait to accompany certain cargo on its return, while another four remained for
health reasons. President Mejia said he would send no more troops to Iraq.