And Then There Was One

With the Iraqi government's failure to renew an agreement with the British government to extend their lovely stay in that country, that leaves the US forces alone in Iraq without coalition partners. It's so lonely... It seems only yesterday that there were 30 or so countries with personnel working for CENTCOM. But more importantly, we have to get a new name for the formerly Multi-National Force-Iraq.

In response to a query, American military officials acknowledged the need for a name change, and said Multi-National Force-Iraq would officially become United States Force-Iraq as of Jan. 1, 2010, according to the deputy coalition spokesman, Lt. Col. Mike Stewart. “This is done to reflect the new bilateral relationship between U.S. forces and our Iraqi hosts,” he said.

Even that relationship is being redefined, as the American military undergoes the complex process of withdrawing 130,000 soldiers over the next two years while shifting much of its attention to Afghanistan. As one Marine officer in Anbar Province said recently, “We’re so out of here.”

But to be clear, the "coalition of the willing" was never that effective other than a show-piece. As Gen. Tony Zinni once said, there are "swimmers" and there are the "non-swimmers." 

The phrase coalition of the willing became widespread after it was used by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell before the American invasion, though from the start the title never got much respect. When it became clear that the United Nations was unwilling to back military action against Iraq, Mr. Powell named 30 countries that would pitch in. Nations contributing troops included Tonga, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Latvia. In all, 38 nations sent soldiers over the past six years, typically in groups numbering in the low hundreds, in rotations that were usually brief and sometimes even furtive. Japan sent a force but announced that it would not fight. Dutch troops had to be deployed just to guard it.

And don't forget Poland!

Comments

[Sven Ortmann]

"It seems only yesterday that there were 30 or so countries with personnel working for CENTCOM."

Afghanistan belongs to CENTCOM as well, and there's still a patchwork of forces in OEF-A.

[Ray]

Never mind, we still have the other war: We look set to be in Afghanistan for years to come, according to today's UK and American contributors to BBC Radio 4 (main news channel here) and there will be increasing number of forces from UK. Might bring UK forces to 12000, or so. NATO under pressure from UK to increase numbers of troops; and some windchange occurring: Germany, for example, with 60% population against the war,and 35 dead, so far, understandably encourages that public view, since Germany's role was not understood to be a combat one... with Germany's MP's divided on the actions to increase troops and formally undertake a fighting role. Germany's September elections are approaching...
The idea that the war in Afganistan will last for years, because of plans to massively increase infrastructure programmes with military protection throughout, puts some European countries off. It was ever thus.

[Trev]

I found it amusing that the Australian govt would only send troops if they were sent to a very quiet part of Iraq where there was very little trouble. I believe that other nations would make fun of them, but that was okay because they were tuff enuff to take it