The Shrinking Iraq Coalition

Excluding U.S. Troops, The Multinational Force Is Down 75% Since War Started And Falling Fast

(AP)  Britain's decision to bring half of its 5,000 troops home from Iraq by spring is the latest blow to the U.S.-led coalition - but it's not the only one.

The alliance is crumbling, and fast: Half a dozen other members are withdrawing troops or intend to. By mid-2008, excluding Americans, there will be about 7,000 troops in the multinational force, down from a peak of about 50,000 at the start of the war 4½ years ago, a new review by The Associated Press shows.

U.S. President George W. Bush - buffeted by opposition in the Democrat-led Congress - says he's committed to gradually reducing the U.S. force from its current peak of 168,000 soldiers to just over 130,000 by next summer.

American troops already are stretched thin trying to contain Sunni and Shiite extremists. But defense experts say the shrunken coalition probably won't make much of a difference because non-U.S. forces have stuck to limited rules of engagement.

"This is a U.S. and Iraqi coalition - nothing more and nothing less," said Anthony H. Cordesman, former director of intelligence assessment at the Pentagon and now an analyst with the private Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"A British withdrawal and that of other countries really doesn't matter very much. They're playing a very limited role," he said Tuesday.

What's certain is this: The alliance has withered dramatically since its peak in the months after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

At its height, the multinational force numbered about 300,000 soldiers from 38 countries - 250,000 from the United States, about 40,000 from Britain, and the rest ranging from 2,000 Australians to 70 Albanians.

By January of this year, though, the combined non-U.S. contingent had dwindled to just over 14,000. As of Tuesday, it stood at 20 nations and roughly 11,400 troops.

It's in for more unraveling: Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday that Britain will halve its remaining force of 5,000 next spring, and another official said there were no guarantees that any British troops would remain in Iraq beyond the end of 2008.

The latest troop pullouts include Denmark, which withdrew its 460-member contingent from the southern Iraqi city of Basra in August and replaced it with a small helicopter unit.

In a recent newspaper interview, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen conceded his country and other coalition members miscalculated when they thought "that foreign troops would be welcomed with open arms like liberators." Seven Danes were killed in Iraq.

Latvia also withdrew all but 15 of its 125 personnel, and Lithuania brought home its 50 troops.

But the coalition will fragment further.

El Salvador cut its contingent from 380 to 300 in August, and the country - the only remaining Latin American member of the alliance - has said it expects to draw down further if the situation in Iraq improves.

Georgia said last month it will slash its peacekeeping contribution from 2,000 personnel to around 300 by next summer. Defense Minister David Kezerashvili said the decision was worked out with the Pentagon.

On Sunday, the foreign minister of the Czech Republic said his country was working on a plan to gradually withdraw its 100 troops, who guard a British base in southern Iraq. Their current mandate expires Dec. 31.

The minister, Karel Schwarzenberg, declined to provide details on the timing of a pullout, saying the Czechs still needed to consult with their allies.

Even staunch U.S. partners have caved to growing public and political opposition to get out.

"You have seen this become a globally unpopular war," Cordesman said. "Most of the world sees it as unjust and sees the United States as having effectively lost because it went to war for the wrong reasons."

Yet two key allies - Poland and South Korea - have signaled they'll stand by the U.S.

Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Tuesday his government won't decide whether to withdraw its 900 troops from Iraq until after the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

The Poles have ruled out "escape or desertion, because that would mean losing everything that we've gained," Kaczynski told Polish state Radio 1. "It's going to be necessary to wait on the results of the American elections."

Officially, South Korea is still undecided, and public discontent over its deployment of 1,200 troops runs high. But Bush has pressed President Roh Moo-hyun to extend the mission, and recent South Korean news reports suggest the government appears to be leaning that way.

The U.S. also can count on a handful of smaller stalwarts.

Australia has rebuffed calls by the political opposition to pull out its 550 combat troops from southern Iraq.

Romania, too, says it has no plans to withdraw its 600 peacekeepers.

"This is not a subject," said Valeriu Turcan, spokesman for President Traian Basescu, the nation's commander in chief.

[grazinggoat]

"There have been 4,119 coalition deaths -- 3,819 Americans, two Australians, 170 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 21 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of October 9, 2007, according to a CNN count."

Just like the USA, I''''m sure these fallen service men and women of our allies appreciate your support.
Posted by AJMarine1 at 09:46 PM : Oct 09, 2007

-AJMarine1, You tell me this when Walking-Liar will be prosecuted for treason and lying to his constituents... He should bear responsibility for such an abhorrent decision driven only by lies. Not only Walking-Liar wanted to simulate a threat form Iraq which was totally wrong, (I refer you to Jimmy Carter''s very recent comments blasting DiccKCheney) and puting at stake the lives of our men and women, but he arm-twisted the those gullible and innocent sheep nations into a simili-coalition he pleasantly called international! Heads of those countries have to bare responsibility for their respective soldiers losses.

[j-whitman]

AJMarine1,,,, Defense Secretary Gates, & General Casey recognize the damage this administration has done to our Troops & our nations Military Ready Reserves ----- Unfortunatly nothing will be done because of Bush''s incompetent leadership to fix the problem untill 2010 ---
---- Way to go Bush & your lying dishonorable GOP neo-cons & faith based, Way to go ------- Another good job Browine, only this one goes to this dishonorable administration, one thats seriously hurt our country

[j-whitman]

AJMarine1,,,, Unfortunatly it''s a bit late for expecting support for our troops, we all support them.. Except for the White House as they''ve continiously shown with thier failed policies & bad leadership, it should have been expected, just like Turkey''s attack on the Kurds -------- Bush is incompetent & dishonest and America knew it from the get go.

[jasarack]

It''s not surprising that this "coalition" is falling apart. The invasion of Iraq was based on misrepresentations of the Bush Administration. It''s also not surprising that the reputation of the U.S. has sunk to all time lows. We invaded a sovereign nation that had nothing to do with 911 and presented no real threat to us.

[neoconrcrazy]

Let''s just keeping blaming the others - it always works...
Crumbling coalition, iraqis can''t/won''t stand up, iran, even Americans against this fiasco - all get the finger pointed to them for the failure - all are accused wrongly.

This is, was, and always will be the BUSH WAR. It''s his forever, let him choke on it.

[tbweb]

Turkey has just approved invading Northern Iraq to go after the Kurdish Rebels! You think Iraq is a mess now, wait until that show drops! The nightmare continues! Maybe the Iraqis can use the new weapons they just purchased from China to hold them off! Weapons from China? China??? Oh no! Just these 2 events alone are no indication Iraq is improving especially when you consider the fact that Private Security Firms are racking up more kills than the U.S. Military! Whose on first? Sick.

[ajmarine1]

Calling them international welfare coalition, would better fit the reality...

Posted by grazinggoat at 09:22 PM : Oct 09, 2007


"There have been 4,119 coalition deaths -- 3,819 Americans, two Australians, 170 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 21 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of October 9, 2007, according to a CNN count."

Just like the USA, I''m sure these fallen service men and women of our allies appreciate your support.

[grazinggoat]

CBS News: ''At its height, the multinational force numbered about 300,000 soldiers from 38 countries - 250,000 from the United States, about 40,000 from Britain, and the rest ranging from 2,000 Australians to 70 Albanians.''

Who called this a coalition? and the Walking-Liar in White House called those twisted-arm nations an international coalition! What a joke! Calling them international welfare coalition, would better fit the reality...

[pastdue1]

Wondering if the USA will continue paying the subsidies to these "coalition" countries after they have pulled out their 1 -14 soldiers?

[v_1618]

YEAH . VERY SWEET ... GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK .
NOW THE UNITED STATES IS ALONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST IS LIKE TO BE ALONE IN THE WOLF''S CAVE .. THE INTERNATIONAL BANKERS WANTS TO SACRIFICE THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES COUNTRY FOR THEIR PURPOSES EUROPE START THE WW1 AND WW2 AND THIS SHADOW STILL ALIVE AND THEY WANT TO SACRIFICE THE UNITED STATES COUNTRY . WHAT A NASTY SITUATION.. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND THE BRITAIN PM. ARE THE MOST BAZTARDS EVIL PERSONS ON EARTH....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy-fD78zyvI