Multinational force in Iraq

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The Multinational force in Iraq, also known as the Coalition, refers to the nations whose governments have military personnel in Iraq. The U.S. media usually refer to it as an international coalition, while non-American media use the term US-led coalition, since over 85% of the troops are American.

The term "Coalition of the Willing" refers to the nations who supported (most of them not militarily) the United States position in the Iraq disarmament crisis and later the 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent occupation duties in Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–2006. The original list in March 2003 included 49 members, [link] but since then at least one country (Costa Rica) has asked to be taken off the list. [link]

2003 Invasion of Iraq

The Bush administration made varying arguments regarding the purpose about the war; after the start of the war and the absence of banned weapons, however, the purpose transformed into an effort to free the Iraqi people from tyranny and to promote stability in the region.

The Occupation of Iraq

Nominally, the occupation ended on June 28, 2004, but those who question the legitimacy of the interim government appointed by the United States believe it continued. Indeed, the expulsion of occupation forces is a major stated aim of Iraqi guerrilla fighters. United States president Bush disagreed with the rationale of the insurgents, claiming that "...what is causing violence in Iraq is the fact that Iraq is heading toward freedom." [link]

The United States deployed more than seven-eighths of the soldiers in the occupying coalition with the majority of other troops coming from the United Kingdom and the rest made up from several other allies. Although their status as Coalition Provisional Authority, or "Occupying Powers" under a United Nations resolution, changed when the new government asserted its sovereignty on June 28, the mission of the multinational force has decreased only by small numbers.

As of March 10, 2006, the United States Department of Defense had confirmed that 2,308 US troops had been killed fighting in Iraq as United States forces struggle to put down the Iraqi insurgency, which continues years after President Bush declared the end of "major combat operations" in Iraq.

Mission objectives

MNF-I objectives as of May 2006

• Iraq is at peace with its neighbors
• Iraq is an ally in the War on Terror
• Iraq has a representative government that respects the human rights of all Iraqis
• Iraq has a security force that can maintain domestic order and deny Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists

The government of Iraq enjoys broad international support, including from nations of the Arab League. Jordan is assisting in training of the Iraqi Security Forces, United Arab Emirates have donated military equipment (bought from Switzerland) and Egypt are actively helping in the reconciliation process, for example.

Iraq is a pluralistic democracy. Iraq's constitution guarantees freedoms of speech, assembly and religion, private ownership of property, privacy and equality before the law. The December 2005 parliamentary election had a 75% voter turnout.

As of May 2006, 254,000 Iraqi security forces have been trained and equipped. By the end of 2006, MNF-I believes that all 325,000 planned ISF members will be trained and equipped. ISF may be fully capable of maintaining domestic order sometime in 2007, perhaps with coalition help in logistics, close-air support and medical assistance.[MNF-I Press briefing May 11, 2006]

The \"Coalition of the Willing\" phrase

The origin of the phrase

The precise origins of the phrase are unknown, but it has been used since at least the late 1980s to refer to groups of nations acting collectively, often in defiance of the United Nations. Specific uses of the phrase in the context of disarming Iraq began appearing in mid-2001.

The first U.S. President known to have publicly mentioned acting with a "Coalition of the Willing" in place of a UN Mandate was Bill Clinton. The phrase was later used by George W. Bush to refer both to actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, although usage primarily focused on the latter.

Criticism of and humorous comment on the phrase

Iraq War critics such as John Pilger have pointed out that 98% of the military is from the US and Britain and is therefore accurately described as a predominantly Anglo-American force rather than as a coalition.

In a 2004 U.S. presidential debate, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry questioned the size of the coalition, saying that Bush portrayed the effort as a widespread international consensus when actually only two major allies of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, had comparatively substantial numbers of soldiers on the ground during the initial invasion. President Bush responded by saying, "Well, actually, he forgot Poland". The phrase You forgot Poland subsequently became a humorous shorthand for the perception that most members of the coalition were not contributing much to the war effort compared to the main three allies. The majority of the population in most countries involved did not, according to some surveys, support the endeavour or their nation's participation.[link]

U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has referred to the coalition formed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the acronym COW, expressing his concern that the United States was being "milked" as a "cash cow." A Canadian MP Carolyn Parrish referred to the "Coalition of the Willing" as the "Coalition of the Idiots". She was reprimanded for these comments, and was eventually removed from the Liberal Party caucus.

List of nations in the Coalition

More than 100,000 soldiers

• } - As of May 8, 2006, there were around 133,000 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps personnel in West, North and Central Iraq [link]; a planned reduction to 115,000 was cancelled due to losses and intense Iraqi resistance, primarily located in Al Anbar province and Baghdad. An increase to 153,000 was supposed to have taken place in early-mid 2005, but such plans never materialized. As of 27 June, 2006 2,525 American military personnel from every branch of the US military have been killed in Iraq: 2,002 in engagements and ambushes (assault rifle and sniper fire; RPG, Katyusha and mortar attacks; the shooting down of several helicopters and a jet; but mostly roadside bombings) as well as vehicle & helicopter accidents which occurred as a result of hostile fire. 523 were killed in non-hostile incidents including a small number of drownings, illnesses, electrocutions etc, but mostly accidental vehicle & helicopter crashes and weapon discharges. At least 18,572 American military personnel have been wounded in action. One soldier, Matt Maupin, was kidnapped after an attack on his convoy on April 9, 2004. Two more soldiers were kidnapped on June 16, 2006. Their bodies were later found mutilated and booby-trapped in Yusufiya, Iraq on June 19, 2006. [link][link]

  More than 5,000 soldiers

  • } - 8,361 (previous listed number: 7,900) troops in South East Iraq; also commanding a number of other coalition troops throughout South Eastern provinces. 3,500 more are stationed in The Persian Gulf region. The British forces command the Multi-National Division (South East) which consists of forces from several other countries. Prime Minister Tony Blair had considered an expansion of 1,500 to 2,000 troops to replace the troops of Spain and other departing nations. However, military commanders as well as former diplomats criticizing US military tactics put this into question. The UK has lost 113 soldiers in Iraq: 83 in ambushes, engagements or other attacks (including the shooting down of a C-130 Hercules transport plane which killed 10 soldiers). Out of the remaining 30, the cause of death included accidents, friendly fire, illnesses, and suicide. See also: Operation Telic (operational name for UK's involvement in Iraq) for further information on the UK's contribution. On 13 March, 2006, it was announced that the UK planned to withdraw about 800 troops by the end of May. [link]

    Between 1,000 and 5,000 soldiers

    • } - Independent contingent of 2,700 troops [link], the 'Garibaldi Brigade' is serving a four month tour of duty as of May 2006, including Signal & transport soldiers, mech. infantry, engineers, helicopterists and Carabinieri in South Central Iraq, around Nasiriyah. In March 2005 it was rumoured that Italian officials planned to begin the withdrawal of their forces in September, and this was confirmed by Prime Minister Berlusconi on 9 July. New prime minister Romano Prodi pledged to withdraw the troops in his first speech to the senate and called the war "a grave mistake that has complicated rather than solved the problem of security".[link][link] On 26 May, 2006, Italian foreign minister Massimo D'Alema announced that the Italian forces would be reduced to 1,600 by June. [link] The Italian forces have lost 32 soldiers in Iraq. 25 were hostile deaths: 2 in separate engagements, 6 in various roadside bombings, 17 in a late 2003 suicide bombing on the Italian HQ in Nasiriyah (which also killed at least 2 Italian civilians), 7 were accidents and one, a ranking major general, was a controversial friendly fire incident. Italy has another 84 troops stationed on bases in the Persian Gulf. Recently, A-129 Mangusta attack helicopters and more Dardo tracked IFV are being sent to Iraq. On May 18, newly elected Prime Minister Romano Prodi announced his decision to remove all Italian troops from Iraq, but gave no exact date for when this should take place, saying a "technical timeframe" would have to be agreed with all sides involved. On June 8, the foreign minister of Italy, Massimo D'Alema, said the troop reduction in Iraq would begin this month and Italy's military presence in Iraq would end before 2007.
      • } - About 2,300 South Korean troops are officially deployed in Iraq (as of July 2006). 1,000 troops were withdrawn in the first half of 2006, from an initial 3,300, after a December 2005 vote by the National Assembly [link] (10-3 with one abstention), thus approving a government proposal. The main tasks of the troops are to offer medical services and build and repair roads, power lines, schools and other infrastructure. The 2,500 soldiers, mostly combat engineers of the Zaytun ("olive-peace") Division were deployed in late September 2004 to Irbil in the Kurdish-controlled region of northern Iraq, and combined with the 660 humanitarian troops that have been operating in southern Iraq since April 2003, South Korea has the third-largest military presence in the war-torn nation after the United States and Britain.
        • } - Independent contingent of 450 troops including an infantry company, a cavalry squadron and around 40 LAVs deployed on February 22 2005^[link] (this contingent is designated the Al Muthanna Task Group). 500 more are stationed in Kuwait. AAP Newsfeed reported on October 18, that Australia, in addition to its contingent of troops in-country, also had in Iraq an army security unit called SECDET, which is composed of 120 troops assigned to protect the Australian embassy. There is also an Australian Naval LAST with a 220-man crew patrolling the Persian Gulf just off the coast of Iraq. A further 600 troops were deployed to replace a Dutch contingent in south eastern Iraq. The move was critised by The Labor opposition party and some high ranking military personnel because the 600 strong contingent was replacing 1250 Dutch personnel. Prime minister John Howard plans for additional troops to go to Iraq. (see also: Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq). In January 2005, eight Australian soldiers were wounded, two seriously, in an ambush on the road to Baghdad International Airport. One Australian private military contractor was ambushed and killed along with a British and American counterpart in mid-2005; with another killed by a roadside bomb in June 2006. On November 7, 2005, an Australian soldier was killed in a traffic accident while training in Kuwait for Iraq duty. On 21 April, 2006, an Australian soldier died after accidentally shooting himself, although this report has been challenged. For more information see Jacob Kovco. The independent Australian force in southern Iraq will remain in the country until at least late 2007[link].

          Between 100 and 999 soldiers

          • } - 900 Polish troops in South Central Iraq; The Polish forces command the Multi-National Division (South Central) which consists of forces from several other countries. The contingent was [cut] from 1500 troops to 900 troops in March 2006, and Polish force will shift toward the training of Iraqi security forces. On 5 January 2006, Radio Polonia [reported] that Polish troops had handed over control of the central Babil province to US troops and would be stationed at camps in the cities of Kut and Diwaniyah for the remainder of their mandate. In accordance with the decision of the Former Polish Minister of Defense Jerzy Szmajdzinski, the number of troops was reduced from 2,500 to 1,500 during the second half of 2005. Poland's former leftist government, which lost 25 September 2005 elections, had planned to withdraw its 1,400 troops in January. The new defense minister, Radek Sikorski, visited Washington on the 3rd of December for talks on Poland's coalition plans, and Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz [declared] that he would decide after the Iraqi elections on 15 December, whether to extend its troops' mandate beyond 31 December. On Tuesday 22 December, Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz announced to reporters following a government meeting, that he had [asked] President Lech Kaczynski to keep Polish troops in Iraq for another year, calling it "a very difficult decision." Kaczynski, who recently took office, has until the end of the month to decide. Poland has lost 17 soldiers in Iraq: 11 in engagements or ambushes and 6 in various accidents. In a statement released in July 2004, 'Al Zarqawi' released a statement threatening Japan, Poland and Bulgaria over their troop deployments. He demanded of the Polish government 'Pull your troops out of Iraq or you will hear the sounds of explosions that will hit your country.' Hours later Prime Minister Marek Belka denied, and deputy Defence Minister Janusz Zemke said pulling out would be a 'terrible mistake.'
            • } - 890 troops[Romania's Top Defense Body Meets on Iraq], AP, 30 June 2006 (half infantry, the rest includes: an intelligence team, military police, and de-miners) under Italian command (South East Iraq). One soldier died in a Kuwait City hospital in March 2006, ten days after shooting himself in the head, and another was killed in a roadside bombing (along with three Italians) the following month. 130 more forces were deployed for UNAMI
              • } - 400 troops including special forces, medics and engineers. In June 2004, three soldiers were wounded in an attack on a US base, and in November 2005, four were wounded in a bombing in Baqouba. 500 more forces were deployed in June 2005, for UNAMI including liaison officers.
                • } - 600 medics and engineers based in Samawah (Southern Iraq) on a humanitarian aid mission to rebuild local infrastructure, purify water and provide medical assistance. The reconstruction mission in Samawa limits the troops' activities to "non-combat zones". Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet [decided] on 8 December 2005 to allow its 600 troops to stay for another year, despite a poll by the Asahi newspaper which found that 69% of respondents were against renewing the mandate, up from 55% in January. Despite the apparent year-long extension of the mandate, PM Koizumi announced on the 20th of June 2006 that the Japanese contingent would be withdrawn within 'several dozen days'[link], citing the completion of the Japanese mission in Samawah. However, he suggested expanding airborne logistical support from southern parts of the country to Baghdad in place of the ground force. 3 Japanese hostages were captured in Iraq in early 2004 but were released unharmed a week later. Later, in a statement released in July 2004, 'Al Zarqawi' released a statement threatening Japan, Poland and Bulgaria over their troop deployments. He demanded the Japanese government to 'do what the Philippines have done' and withdraw its troops, and said that 'lines of cars laden with explosives are awaiting you' if his demands were not met. Mortars and rockets have been lobbed at the Japanese camp several times, causing no damage or injuries.
                  • } - Independent contingent of 550 troops including infantry, medics and military police in South East Iraq near Basra at "Camp Danevang". Denmark has lost four soldiers in Iraq: one to friendly fire, one in a vehicle accident, and the two others to separate IEDs, while two were wounded in August 2005. Denmark from 2003 till 2006 extended its Iraqi forces by biannually parliamentary decisions. However in May 2006 the Danish parliament voted to extend the Danish military force in Iraq for a full year, until at least July 2007, or for so long as the Iraqi government wanted it. The Danish government has repeatedly guaranteed that it would remain as long as the Iraqi government [requested] it.
                    • } - 380 special forces troops under Polish command (Central South Iraq). New President Antonio Saca took office on 1 June 2004 and promised to renew his troop contingent's stay in Iraq beyond the expiry of their commitment in August, saying that a further decision would be made after the January 30 elections in Iraq. El Salvador has lost two soldiers in Iraq, one in a firefight and the other in an accident.
                      • } - 150 troops. 100 soldiers were sent on 29 December 2004 to reinforce the 150 soldiers already in the country. They provide security for local Turkmen populations, religious sites and convoys.
                        • } - 145 men in an infantry company under Polish command.
                          • } - 125 non-combat troops under US command near Mosul.
                            • } - 122 troops under Polish command (Central South Iraq). Latvia lost one soldier in Iraq in an insurgent attack.
                              • } - 120 troops under Polish command (Central South Iraq). The Lithuanian government has declared its intention to stay until the end of 2007.

                                Fewer than 100 soldiers

                                • } - 96 police trainers. (Reduced from 300 troops, a small detachment of MPs, and 3 civilians running a field hospital as of November 2003.) The Czech government announced the troops will be pulled out completely by the end of 2006.
                                  • } - 85 man engineering unit under Polish command (Central South Iraq). Slovakia lost three soldiers in Iraq (06/08/04) along with two Poles and a Latvian, when a mortar landed on a truck laden with munitions prepared for transportation to a detonation site. On July 10, 2005, the newly elected Prime Minister Robert Fico announced plans to withdraw Slovakia’s military unit from Iraq.
                                    • } has deployed a unit of 46 soldiers (a mixture of logistic, medical and support soldiers) to support the effort in Iraq. On 5 December 2005, the Armenian government [declared] its intention to stay in Iraq for another year.
                                      • } deployed a 36 man force to destroy explosives and clear mines as of June 2005. One Bosnian truck driver employed by a firm serving coalition troops was killed in an ambush on his convoy, while a Bosnian carpenter died of a heart attack.
                                        • } - 35 troops. Two soldiers were killed in Iraq in separate insurgent attacks.
                                          • } - 33 troops (possibly special forces). In late 2004 three Macedonian workers building barracks on American bases were executed after being captured by insurgents. As of October 1, 2005, Macedonia is planning to deploy 12 more soldiers.
                                            • } - 29 military engineers. One was killed (09/01/2005) along with eight Ukrainians when a pile of booby-trapped munitions was detonated by insurgents.

                                              Unknown number of soldiers

                                              • } has recently disclosed that there have been Canadian military personnel "embedded in American and coalition forces since the beginning of the conflict." [link] In addition, an undisclosed number of JTF2 operators were deployed to Iraq, working closely with Delta Force and the SAS to carry out the rescue of the Christian Peacemaker Hostages. [link] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Security Intelligence Service were also involved in that operation. [link]

                                                United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)

                                                • } - 500 blue-helmets performing UN protection duties (separate from the 400 Coalition troops).
                                                  • } - 335 Fijian troops protecting UN buildings and staff in and around the Green Zone, ahead of the Iraqi elections in January. ABC News reported on the October 20, 2004, that the contingent (trained, equipped and transported to Iraq by Australia) would be deployed the following month. A Fijian soldier died of a suspected heart attack on March 16, 2006. According to a BBC Monitoring report, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces had abandoned plans to deploy a battalion to Iraq under the Coalition, for financial reasons.
                                                    • } - 130 blue-helmets performing UN protection duties, separate from the 830 Romanian Coalition troops.

                                                      Nations no longer participating in ground operations

                                                      • Bulgaria - As of December 27, 2005, the last of the Bulgarian contingent in Iraq withdrew into Kuwait following a decision made by the Parliament in May. Bulgaria had announced on November 3, 2004, that it would reduce the size of its contingent to 462 troops during the next scheduled unit rotation. This number dropped to 380 by late November 2005. The Dnevnik Newspaper [reported] on 8 December 2005 that 120 soldiers would guard a prison housing rape and murder convicts in Ashraf, thus switching Bulgaria's role in Iraq to one of policing duties rather than military occupation. They started duty on January 1, 2006, and will be there for four months at the most. The original contingent of 380 mechanized infantry troops, which was under Polish command, guarded municipal buildings and the town centre in Kerbala (South Central Iraq). Bulgaria lost 13 soldiers in Iraq: one to friendly fire, seven in attacks and five in accidents. In addition, two Bulgarian truck drivers working for companies serving coalition troops have been captured and killed in Iraq, with another ambushed and killed. Three Bulgarian pilots were killed when their Mi-17 transport helicopter (transporting a team of private military contractors) was shot down in April 2005.
                                                      • Ukraine - As of December 22, 2005, all remaining Ukrainian troops crossed the Iraqi border into Kuwait and arrived home in the Ukraine by December 30. This fulfills a long-planned withdrawal pledged by President Viktor Yushchenko who was sworn in on the January 23, 2005, and executes a ruling by the Ukrainian legislative body, the Verkhovna Rada, which passed a motion for the withdrawal of all troops. An independent contingent originally consisting of 1,650 mechanized infantry troops in Kut (South Central Iraq), had been [slashed] to around 900 between March 15 and May 15, 2004.This number was then [reduced] continuously until the 44 remaining troops were pulled out along with the last of the vehicles within the final days of 2005. Defense Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko announced that 30 Army officers, ten specialists from the border service and ten representatives from the Interior Ministry would stay in Iraq, and that they would work at headquarter and command facilities. Ukraine lost a total of 18 soldiers in Iraq: 12 in attacks, 3 in accidents, 2 in suicides and 1 as a result of a heart attack, while 32 were wounded or injured. Early in 2004, three Ukrainian engineers were taken hostage in Iraq but were freed shortly after.
                                                      • Nicaragua - 230 troops left in February 2004, no replacement, attributed to financial reasons. While in Iraq, the troops were under Spanish command.
                                                      • Spain - had 1,300 troops (mostly assigned to policing duties) in Najaf and commanded the troops of Honduras, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and of Nicaragua. Newly elected Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero fulfilled one of his campaign pledges and declared the end of the mission on April 28, 2004 with the withdrawal of the last 260 troops. While in Iraq, Spain lost 11 military personnel: ten killed in insurgent attacks and one in an accident.
                                                      • Honduras - 368 troops withdrawn by end of May along with Spain's contingent, citing that the troops were sent there for reconstruction, not combat. While in Iraq, the troops were under Spanish command (South East Iraq).
                                                      • Norway - 140 of 150 troops (engineers and mine clearers) withdrawn on June 30, 2004 citing growing domestic opposition and the need for the troops elsewhere; approximately ten liaison troops remain. The Bondevik II administration insists the troops were never part of the invasion force, citing a UN humanitarian mandate. This does not seem to have come to the attention of the international community, as Al-Qaeda has included Norway in videotaped threats on at least two occasions, and US organizations have included Norway on their lists of participating nations. The actual status of Norwegian engineering and administrative personnel past and present are still a matter of domestic controversy, in part because troops serving in a war zone are entitled to better pay. It is popular belief that Norway was bullied by America into joining the Coalition.[link]
                                                      • Dominican Republic - 302 troops withdrawn by end of May shortly after Spain and Honduras withdrew their contingents, citing growing domestic opposition. While in Iraq, the troops were under Spanish command (South East Iraq).
                                                      • Philippines - 51 medics, engineers and sand soldiers withdrawn July 14 2004 in response to kidnapping of a truck driver. When the hostage takers' demands were met (Filipino troops out of Iraq), the hostage was released. While in Iraq, the troops were under Polish command (Central South Iraq) and during that time several Filipino soldiers were wounded in an insurgent attack but none died.
                                                      • Thailand - Withdrawal of last 100 troops from Thailand's 423-strong humanitarian contingent completed on 10 September 2004, in accordance with Thailand's mandate in Iraq which expired in September. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had previously announced early withdrawal if the situation became too dangerous. Thailand lost two soldiers in Iraq in an insurgent attack.
                                                      • Hungary - Hungary's contingent of 300 transportation troops had begun arriving home in Budapest from Iraq on 22 December 2004, reported AFP. All of Hungary's troops were reported by the Defence Ministry to have left Iraq by the end of that day. While in Iraq one Hungarian soldier was killed in an insurgent attack.
                                                      • New Zealand - Two rotations of 61 military engineers, known as Task Force Rake, operated in Iraq from September 26, 2003 to September 25, 2004 [link] [link]. They were deployed to undertake humanitarian and reconstruction tasks consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1483; they were not part of the invading force. While in Iraq the unit was under British command (South East Iraq) and was based in Basra.
                                                      • Portugal - had 128 military policemen under Italian command (South East Iraq). Troops were withdrawn on 10 February 2005, two days ahead of schedule.
                                                      • Singapore - A total of 192 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel returned on 31 January 2004 after a two month deployment. A Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) amphibious transport dock conducted logistical tasks such as replenishing supplies for other naval vessels in the Persian Gulf, and conducted patrols to enforce a maritime presence. It also provided a platform for helicopter missions and maritime boarding operations missions by teams from other coalition countries when they inspected ships leaving Iraq. A (SAF) C-130 transport aircraft returned on 4 April 2004 after a two month deployment. During its deployment, the C-130 detachment conducted air support missions, including providing airlift and transportation of logistics supply to coalition forces. A SAF KC-135 tanker aircraft returned on 11 September 2004 after a three month deployment. During its deployment, the KC-135 provided air-to-air refuelling for coalition forces. A RSN amphibious transport dock with 180 personnel returned on 19 March 2005 after a three month deployment. Currently, there are no SAF personnel in or around Iraq.
                                                      • Netherlands - Half a dozen liaison officers remain as of late 2005. An independent contingent of 1,345 troops (including 650 Marines, three or more Chinook helicopters, military police, a logistics team, a commando squad, and a field hospital) based in Samawah (Southern Iraq) left Iraq in June 2005. On June 1 2004, the Dutch government renewed the troop stay through 2005. The Algemeen Dagblad reported on October 21 2004, that the Netherlands would pull its troops out of Iraq in March 2005, at the end of the troop's mandate. Citing the Dutch Defense Minister, the Dutch Government had reportedly turned down an Iraqi Government request to extend the Dutch contingent's stay in-country. Netherlands lost two soldiers in separate insurgent attacks.
                                                      • Moldova - 12 de-mining specialists and medics. The Washington Post, on 15 July 2004, reported that Moldova had quietly halved its contingent from 24 to 12. Withdrew remaining forces in February 2005.
                                                      • Tonga - 45 Royal Marines. Arrived in Iraq at the beginning of July 2004 to augment the I Marine Expeditionary Force in the Al Anbar Province. Withdrew all forces in mid-December 2004.
                                                      • Iceland - Iceland had two Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts, a medical advisor, and some transport experts assigned to the Danish unit immediately after the occupation began; they have since been withdrawn.

                                                      Private military contractors

                                                      In addition to regular troops there are roughly 20,000 private military contractors in Iraq. This is more than twice the number of boots on the ground than the second largest group of troops of the participating nations, United Kingdom. These contractors also differ from regular troops as they are outside a Uniform Code of Military Justice, and have little or no legal accountability. However under the Geneva Conventions private contractors, along with everyone in Iraq, may be tried by fair and impartial military tribunals set up by one of the Occupying Powers. There have been unconfirmed reports of more than 40,000 private military contractors operating in Iraq in December 2004.#redirect

                                                      Although the military contractors have often been portrayed as mercenaries in the media, they are little more than well-armed security guards.

                                                      External links

                                                      • [Site with Iraq news and detailed database of all Coalition and Contractor casualties in Iraq]
                                                      • [Official site of Multi-National Force - Iraq]
                                                      • [Breakdown of Coalition Members by Contributions]
                                                      • [MNF Patch]
                                                      • [Top UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello killed in terrorist blast in Baghdad] - UN News Centre
                                                      • [Bush: Join 'Coalition of Willing (CNN)]
                                                      • [White House list of 49 Coalition Members]
                                                      • [Corrected White House list of 48 Coalition Members]
                                                      • [Coalition of the Willing List, Map and Troop Numbers] from Perspectives on World History and Current Events.
                                                      • [A Coalition of the "Willing"?] Misnomer, February 11 2003, summary of public opinion on the invasion of Iraq.

                                                      References

                                                      • ↑  [Multi-National Force - Iraq Combined Press Information Center]

                                                       

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