Singapore sends troop ship to Iraq

SINGAPORE – Singapore dispatched a troop landing ship with a crew of 180 to Iraq on Saturday in the city-state’s latest military contribution to coalition forces there.

The RSS Resolution will stay in the Persian Gulf for three months, the city-state’s defense ministry said.

The crew’s mission is to protect the waters around key oil terminals, provide logistical support for coalition vessels and helicopters, and conduct patrols and boarding operations, the statement said.

Singapore earlier deployed a troop landing ship, a C-130 transport plane and a KC-135 tanker aircraft to the Persian Gulf to aid Iraq’s reconstruction efforts. It also sent 32 police officers to Baghdad for two months in July to help train Iraqi police.

The wealthy Southeast Asian island has been a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.