Europe's Military Contributions to Iraq and Afghanistan

[STING2]

Countries contributing military personal to both Iraq and Afghanistan:

Norway 391
Denmark 592
Netherlands 1,124
Britain 11,354
Spain 1,418
Italy 3,481
Estonia 61
Latvia 131
Lithuania 107
Poland 2,418
Czech Rep. 109
Hungary 313
Romania 427
Bulgaria 508
Albania 92

Countries contributing military personal to Iraq only:

Slovakia 189
Ukraine 1,600

Countries contributing military personal to Afghanistan only:

Finland 42
Sweden 46
Greece 167
Turkey 151
Croatia 47
Belguim 280
France 536
Germany 1,833

Countries in Europe NOT contributing any military personal to either Iraq or Afghanistan:

Iceland
Ireland
Portugal
Luxembourg
Russia
Belarus
Moldova
Macedonia
Serbia/Montenegro
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Slovenia
Switzerland
Austria
Andorra
Liechtenstein
Malta
Monaco
San Marino



16 countries of the 26 country NATO Alliance currently have troops in Iraq. 21 countries of the 26 country NATO Alliance currently have troops in Afghanistan.

 

[Klaus]

US soldiers from private security companies in iraq:

Approx. 20.000

 

[anitram]

How many people live in:

Liechtenstein
Andorra
Monaco
San Marino

and what is the size of their military?

 

[Angela Harlem]

Even Malta, it only has about 600,000 people or something doesn't it? I should double check this probably lol. I can't imagine they would have a military which would be of any use. Our corps is only about 18,000 strong out of almost 20 million...

 

[Rono]

Where did you found that numbers ?

 

[STING2]

Australia's total armed forces number 51,000.

Liechtenstein: has a population of 31,000 and no military.
Andorra: has a population of 75,000 and no military.
Monaco: has a population of 33,000 and no military.
San Marino: has a population of 26,000 and no military.

Malta has a population of 400,000 and a total armed forces of 2,000.

 

[Popmartijn]

Today I read that Portugal has people in Iraq. I don't know if it's actual military, but they have about a 128 special guard helping building up the police force. There is talk, however, to send those 128 back home due to the unrest.

 

[DrTeeth]

The Netherlands have more than 1250 troops in Iraq alone.

 

[Salome]

I like numbers and all

but the importance of this is lost on me

 

[Dreadsox]

It is to show how the Bush administration acted with the support of the rest of the world.

 

[Salome]

thing about numbers is that they only tell such a small part of the story though

when I get a new client and they start to tell me very enthousiastically how great their turnover is then I will compliment them on that and then ask them about their costs so that I know what their profit is

when I get a new client and they start to tell me very enthousiastically how great their profit is then I will compliment them on that and then ask them about the amount of money of money they spend on loans etc so that we can figure out how much money is left at the end of the period

when I get a new client and they start to tell me very enthousiastically how much money they have left at the end of every period then I will compliment them on that and then ask them what the quality of their fixed assets are so that we can determine whether it would be smarter to invest some money so that they will remain a healthy organization in the future


so basically
as much as I like numbers,
they don't really mean a lot to me

 

[Angela Harlem]

 

[DrTeeth]

They might want to move Spain to the Afghanistan-only list

 

[Klaus]

DrTeeth:
right.
So

Countries contributing military personal to Afghanistan only:
Spain: 1,418-1300=118

Honduras (ok, not european so it might be the wrong thread) announced to remove his 370 men from Iraq.

 

[Scarletwine]

I think our coalition is falling apart. That is bad news for our troops.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2004/0420/3783682793HM1SCALLY.html

Poland planning pull-out of troops from Iraq
Derek Scally, in Warsaw



Poland is planning to withdraw its troops from Iraq in the coming months, dealing another blow to the US-led coalition forces there.

The revelation yesterday by a senior government adviser that Poland's 2,500 soldiers would leave Iraq comes just a day after the new Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jos? Luis Rodr?guez Zapatero, announced the pull-out of Spanish troops "as soon as possible".

President Bush reacted to the Spanish decision by accusing Mr Zapatero yesterday of giving "false comfort to terrorists \ enemies of freedom in Iraq".

The White House spokesman, Mr Scott McClellan, said that in a five-minute telephone call to Mr Zapatero, Mr Bush also urged Spain's withdrawal to "take place in a co-ordinated manner that does not put at risk other coalition forces in Iraq". Spain said last night its troops would be out within six to eight weeks.

A senior adviser to the Polish government confirmed to The Irish Times that Warsaw's decision had been influenced by the Spanish move. "Given the circumstances [in Iraq], we will probably diminish significantly the forces at the end of 2004," said Prof Tadeusz Iwinski, secretary of state for international affairs in the office of the prime minister.

Questioned further by The Irish Times, he said: "It is much easier to send troops in than to withdraw them, but we will probably do it at the end of 2004 or the start of 2005."

As well as 2,500 soldiers, Poland commands a 9,000-strong division of troops from 24 nations, including 1,300 Spanish soldiers. Poland and Spain had worked closely as both political and military allies over Iraq.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in Warsaw was unable to comment. However, indicating evident confusion within the government, the Polish President, Mr Aleksander Kwasniewski, was quoted yesterday pledging to keep Polish soldiers in Iraq. He bemoaned the Spanish decision to withdraw and said he hoped that the Latin American members of the coalition would keep their troops in Iraq.

But last night there were signs that this would not happen. El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua provided 900 troops to the Spanish-speaking Plus Ultra Brigade which was headed by Spain. Honduras said it would definitely withdraw its 400 troops. Nicaragua has already pulled out by not replacing its 115 troops because of a lack of funds.

The US State Department spokesman, Mr Richard Boucher, insisted that El Salvador was "holding fast", as he put it.

According to the Associated Press, Albania, a predominantly Muslim country, has told the US it is prepared to send more non-combat troops to Iraq, on top of the 71-member contingent already there, in the northern city of Mosul, under US command.

 

[Klaus]

From BBC

Powell hits phone to rally allies

US Secretary of State Colin Powell says he has been phoning every member of the coalition in Iraq to rally support.

It follows the decisions by Spain and Honduras to pull out their troops - a move Mr Powell said others may follow.

He has been reassured by Australia and Japan, which said they had no plans to withdraw their forces.

But the BBC's John Leyne says it is not yet clear whether there will be any more defections - unconfirmed reports say Poland might consider pulling out.

Warsaw may withdraw its contingent of 2,400 troops when their current commitment ends in September, our correspondent says.

Mr Powell must have made more than 30 calls - showing the depth of American concern, he says.

The secretary of state said he was getting solid support from the other members of the coalition for the American-led effort, and a series of commitments to finish the job.

...

 

[Dreadsox]

Oops...looks like Poland is staying.....oh the horror they are not falling apart.

[Q]Apr 21, 11:53 AM (ET)

By BEATA PASEK

(AP) People pass a U.S. Army vehicle while returning to their homes in Fallujah, Iraq Wednesday, April...
Full Image








WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Poland is not considering a troop pullout from Iraq, despite the outgoing prime minister's comments on the subject, the government spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Poland will be in Iraq as long as it necessary, until the situation there is stabilized," spokesman Marcin Kaszuba told The Associated Press. "Poland has not and is not considering a troop withdrawal."

Earlier, the Polish news agency PAP quoted Prime Minister Leszek Miller, who leaves office early next month, as saying Poland "cannot turn a blind eye" to the Spanish pullout. The comments suggested Warsaw might be rethinking its Iraq mission.

But Kaszuba said Miller only meant to restate the government's position "that the government is not considering increasing its contingent" in Iraq.

Poland leads a multinational force of 9,500 troops in central Iraq, including 2,400 Polish troops. The 1,300 Spanish troops that the new Madrid government is withdrawing are in the same sector.

Spain plans to bring home all its troops within six weeks. Following the Spanish lead, Honduras and the Dominican Republic said they too would remove troops soon.

Miller told PAP that the Spanish pullout was a problem that required decisions. He said his government was discussing the issue with the Americans.

"We will not make any rash gestures," Miller told PAP, apparently referring to the fact that the Spanish pullout was announced hours after Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was sworn in Sunday. "The final decision about the pullout will be agreed and thought over, but the problem exists."

"We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Spain and others are leaving Iraq," he was quoted as saying. "I cannot say when we will leave Iraq, but I am sure the new prime minister will be more precise."

Miller is stepping down on May 2. His likely successor is Marek Belka, who has said Polish troops will stay in Iraq until the situation stabilizes. Until last month, Belka directed economic policy in Iraq for the U.S.-led coalition.

The Polish-led multinational troops are stationed in south-central Iraq, which in recent weeks has become the center of a violent uprising by followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The 23-nation force now regularly comes under attack - overnight, the insurgents fired mortars at a Spanish base in Najaf. [/Q]

Now what will we use to show the administration in a bad light?

 

[Klaus]

Dreadsox:
with my above posting i wanted to show that Mr. Powell (a man i respect verry much) fixed the problem and the situation seems to be under control.

 

[Dreadsox]

Dreadsox:
with my above posting i wanted to show that Mr. Powell (a man i respect verry much) fixed the problem and the situation seems to be under control.

I got that...my post was directed more at the Poland withdrawing article from yesterday.

 

[deep]

US losing face as Poles waver

From agency correspondents in Washington and Baghdad
23apr04

PENTAGON chiefs are drawing up emergency plans for more troops and money in Iraq as the US-led coalition continues to splinter in the face of insurgent violence.

Poland sent mixed signals about its troop commitment yesterday after the Dominican Republic followed Spain and Honduras in announcing that it would withdraw its troops from the country.
Wednesday's co-ordinated car bombings in the southern city of Basra rocked the coalition because the British-controlled south had been an area of relative calm.

The toll from the attack rose from 68 to 73, including at least 20 schoolchildren, yesterday after five of the wounded died. Some coalition officials said the attacks bore the hallmarks of al-Qa'ida.

"This is a serious situation," General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the US Congress yesterday. "We're at war. We have a lot at stake against these extremists in Iraq."

General Myers gave one of the most candid official assessments yet of events in Iraq, marking a further turn from the Bush administration's stance that a smaller US force coupled with Iraqi security forces could secure the country.

He said General John Abizaid, commander of US forces in Iraq, was assessing what additional forces might be needed on top of the 135,000 US troops already there.

US troops this month have endured the worst casualties of the year-old campaign, with 100 killed. More than 700 have died since the war began.

General Myers also revealed that the cost of the war had increased to $US4.7 billion ($6.44 billion) a month.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said last night he expected the UN Security Council to approve a new resolution for Iraq in May.

The surge in violence has come at a political cost to the Bush administration, with hawkish Republicans calling for the head of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

One influential Republican senator has even urged the White House to consider reinstating the draft.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice have spent the past two days phoning coalition partners to check their commitment. Britain, Poland, Japan, Italy and Portugal all remained strong, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

But there is doubt about Poland's commitment after Leszek Miller, the outgoing Prime Minister, suggested the Government was having second thoughts. "We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Spain and others are leaving Iraq," he said.

Honduras, with 360 troops, and the Dominican Republic, with 300, exploited Spain's decision to withdraw its 1300 troops to make their own moves. Both Britain and Australia, with 7500 and 800 troops in Iraq respectively, have vowed to stay the course - but have not offered more personnel.

As a result the Pentagon is drawing up contingency plans to either maintain US forces in Iraq at 135,000 or to increase numbers over the northern summer. Many families are unhappy that 20,000 troops due home this month have had duties extended by 90 days.

But US President George W.Bush said yesterday: "The Iraqi people are looking at America and saying are we going to cut and run again? We're not going to cut and run if I'm in the Oval Office. We will do our job,"