Bulgaria, a staunch supporter of the US-led invasion of Iraq, had earlier pledged to send some 150 nuclear, biological and chemical defence experts.

Washington will pay the team's travel bill and daily expenses, according to the agreement, which the foreign ministry said covered "activities connected with joint efforts to combat terrorism".

The Bulgarian authorities said the experts would be deployed in the next few days but declined to say where they would be stationed for security reasons. The Bulgarian press said they would be sent to a part of Jordan close to the Iraqi border.

Sofia announced on March 27 it was sending 10 liaison officers to help US Central Command, which is running the US-led war on Iraq -- five to Centcom's Florida headquarters and five to its forward base in Kuwait.

Those in Kuwait will work with the chief of staff of the US nuclear, biological and chemical defence forces.

Bulgaria is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and was one of the few states who said it would vote in favour of a UN resolution authorising the use of force to disarm the Baghdad regime of any weapons of mass destruction it might possess.

Sofia is allowing US refuelling aircraft to use an airbase on its Black Sea coast for operations against Iraq.

SPACE.WIRE