Ecuador expels all Defence Department employees in US Embassy's military group

[Judi Lynn]

Ecuador expels all Defence Department employees in US Embassy's military group
By Gonzalo Solano, The Associated Press April 25, 2014 12:20 AM

QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador has ordered all 20 Defence Department employees in the U.S. Embassy's military group to leave the country by month's end, The Associated Press has learned.

The group was ordered to halt operations in Ecuador in a letter dated April 7, said embassy spokesman Jeffrey Weinshenker.

The AP was first alerted to the expulsions by a senior Ecuadorean official who refused to be identified by name due to the information's sensitive nature.

President Rafael Correa had publicly complained in January that Washington had too many military officers in Ecuador, claiming there were 50, and said they had been "infiltrated in all sectors." At the time, he said he planned to order some to leave.

More:
http://www.canada.com/news/world/Ecuador+expels+Defence+Department+employees+Embassys+military+group/9773211/story.html

[MADem]

1. ...a senior Ecuadorean official = President Rafael Correa... that's my guess, anyway! nt

[Judi Lynn]

2. U.S. to end military training in Ecuador, per request

U.S. to end military training in Ecuador, per request
26/04/2014 | 09:16 AM | World News

تصغير الخطالشكل الأساسيتكبير الخط

WASHINGTON, April 26 (KUNA) -- The U.S. will آ‘respectآ’ the government of Ecuadorآ’s request for the U.S. Embassy Security Cooperation Office to close its doors and end the آ‘bilateral partnershipآ’ that posted 20 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) employees in the country.

"While we respect their decision, we regret that the outcome will severely limit our bilateral security partnership. Our close military cooperation over the past four decades has resulted in significant advances against drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism and other transnational crime," said State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki to reporters Friday night.

The letter from the Ecuadorian government was sent on April 7 and notified the group also referred to as the آ‘mil groupآ’ to leave the country by the end of the month.

Psaki added that the DOD team had been cooperating on items, "which are also in Ecuador's interests have been technical training in the areas of vehicle and aircraft maintenance, safety and logistics, construction of a military peacekeeping center, strengthening Ecuador's defensive capabilities strengthening cooperation on a wide spectrum of security challenges." She indicated that the Ecuadorian government made آ‘erroneous reportsآ’ that inflated the numbers of DOD employees in Ecuador. She noted there are about 50 military employees and 20 DOD employees. She stressed that the DOD employees in the military group were, "fully accredited with the Ecuadorian government to engage in a range of liaison and cooperation activities with the Ecuadorian military." (end) ak.tg

http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2374110&Language=en