Checking In With the Willing

		<a href='http://ads.truthdig.com/banners/www/delivery/ck.php?n=a9cd87eb&cb=83247953' target='_blank'><img src='http://ads.truthdig.com/banners/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=1&cb=83247953&n=a9cd87eb' border='0' alt='' /></a>	February 12, 2012 Log in / Register
			Text Size

Past Events Upcoming Events

Frightening Charts From the Senate Inequality Hearing

Morris Berman and the Decline of America

An Open Book: Coming of Age in the Heartland

By Michael Dirda
$16.94

Checking In With the Willing

radaronline.com

Radar Online checks in with Mongolia, Bulgaria and the other member nations of the “coalition of the willing” still fighting in Iraq. Albania, true to its love of George W. Bush, promises to see the war through to the end, with its 120 troops. Reminder: Of the roughly 162,000 troops fighting in Iraq, 150,000 are American, 7,100 are British and the rest, a hodgepodge of nations from Armenia to the Ukraine—and that’s not counting the mercenaries.

Radar Online:

Remember the “Coalition of the Willing?” Those countries that trailed right behind us like a rapper’s entourage as we rolled into Baghdad to give Saddam a little taste of American freedom? In all, there are still about 12,000 foreign troops fighting for our president in Iraq, plucked seemingly at random from a battle-ready Epcot Center of 27 different nationalities. (Mongolia sent 160 infantrymen. Mongolia!) Some offered succor in a symbolic gesture of solidarity, others in a blatant bid for NATO recognition.

Given the vastly disproportionate number of American boots on the ground (150,000), it’s hard to argue that the “coalition” is anything more than international garnish on a U.S. venture. But it should be recognized that many thousands of non-American soldiers have gone to Iraq since 2003, and nearly 300 of them have died. Many still remain despite the catastrophic strategy failures and raging chaos, but significant withdrawals have taken their toll on the dream team. Spain pulled out after the March 2004 terrorist bombings in Madrid, and more than a dozen others have followed suit. Of those who packed it in, Italy suffered the most casualties, with 33 soldiers killed.

So, as Bush’s base of support disintegrates at home, who’s still holding his hand in Baghdad? And who’s inching toward the door? [Click the link below to see] Radar’s comprehensive, country-by-country State of the Coalition Report, from A to Z.

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement

TAGS: albania coalition mercenaries mongolia quagmire willing

Related Entries

August 12, 2011 Business Booms in the Executive Protection Industry
March 28, 2011 Smells Like Regime Change (Update)
November 19, 2010 Pentagon Calls 2014 Afghanistan Withdrawal ‘Aspirational’
October 18, 2010 Iraq’s PM Heads to Iran for Advice
July 26, 2010 It’s No Secret: Afghanistan Is a Quagmire

Email to a friend

Get truth delivered to
your inbox every week.

Previous item: Vatican Shuns Amnesty International

Next item: Hamas Tightens Noose on Gaza

Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

By QuyTran, June 14, 2007 at 6:04 pm Link to this comment

When a draft dodger tries to be a hero then he looks like a big FART !

Report this

By QuyTran, June 14, 2007 at 2:41 pm Link to this comment

The coalition of willing became the coalition of DEVILS !

Report this

By THOMAS BILLIS, June 14, 2007 at 12:50 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I am not in favor of a draft but as a matter to keep out of these ridiculous wars it cannot be overlooked.I have a proposal if any Congress passes a war resolution they should be legally bound to pass a draft resolution with no exemptions.You can bet your ass their will be an exhaustive debate on whether we should we go or not if the people voting for the war resolution know that their loved ones might go.

Report this

By Hammo, June 14, 2007 at 9:32 am Link to this comment

And as other nations no longer want to work with the Bush-Cheney administration, allies abandon neocon plots and international coalitions are no longer available to provide troops, we could see a US military draft.

If a new hawkish US president is elected and Congress wants to expand the Army and Marines with a draft, teenagers/young adults and parents beware.

Think a draft can’t happen? Think again and check out the articles . . .

“Military Draft Needed for War With Iran and Syria?”

PopulistAmerica.com
Populist Party of America

http://www.populistamerica.com/military_draft_needed_for_war_with_iran_and_syria

- - -

“Another view of military waivers: Flexible recruiting avoids draft”

PopulistAmerica.com
Populist Party of America

http://www.populistamerica.com/another_view_of_military_waivers

Report this

By THOMAS BILLIS, June 14, 2007 at 6:10 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

First let us give it its right name the coalition of the bribed.I would like to see a breakdown of benefits the bribed have recieved from loan guarantees to help in other areas.Turkey was offered 19 billion in loan guarantees to use their soil for this operation and turned it down.The only ones apparently who bought into this at an ideological level were the British.Tony Blair was hoodwinked by a man who can hardly speak english.

Report this

By namvet67, June 14, 2007 at 4:22 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

With the exception of England all the coalition partners were window-dressing. They can and will be easily replaced with American private contractors. The war will go on because money is still to be made. Once all the resources and potential profits have been exhausted then the US will go home. As long as Iraq is a money maker for the United States of Everything then we will continue with our economic imperialism.
Hoa binh

Report this

By Tom Bass, June 14, 2007 at 2:02 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

“Spain pulled out after the March 2004 terrorist bombings in Madrid”
This connects the withdrawal of Spain with the terrorist bombings. Some days before the election, the bombings happened.
The socialist party promised already before to bring the troops home.
If the socialist party have won without the bombings is speculation but realistic because both the war in Iraq and the right wing president were unpopular.

Report this