A fifth contingent of 380 soldiers are in a base east of San Salvador, waiting for Saca to give the deployment order.

The 380 Salvadoran troops currently in Iraq "have made a humanitarian contribution," he said, adding "you have to finish what you started."

Iraqis must have a security force that can protect the country, but "that has not happened yet," said Saca, who will meet US President George W. Bush at the White House on Friday to talk about free trade and terorism. He said Iraq was not on the agenda, however.

Saca used similar arguments in February to justify sending fresh troops.