French frigate to train Iraq’s navy anchors in Basra

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: A French frigate to offer training for Iraqi naval forces arrived at the Umm Qasr base in the southern Iraq province of Basra on Sunday, according to a French military official. “French frigate 797-S came from Abu Dhabi and arrived in Basra for a three-day training course for Iraqi naval forces. This is the second time this frigate arrives in Basra for the same purposes. The first was in March 2010,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The French government is willing to offer support and help for Iraqi forces upon their request,” he added. The oil-rich port city of Basra, Iraq’s only outlet to waterways, lies 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (P) 2