Ceremony formally marks end of coalition effort in Iraq

[bemildred]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Camp Victory, Iraq - December was the first month since the Iraq war began in which there were no American combat deaths, a milestone hailed by military officials Friday as they inaugurated a new name for the U.S. force at the start of the year that will see the war wind down in earnest.

Henceforth, the Multinational Force-Iraq will officially be called the United States Force-Iraq, in belated recognition of the fact that for some time there have been no other nations serving alongside U.S. troops in the nearly 7-year-old conflict.

British, Australian and Romanian soldiers pulled out in July, leaving Americans as the last surviving members of what President George W. Bush once called "the coalition of the willing." A small number of foreigners are serving with a NATO training mission, but they were not part of the multinational force.

At its peak, the coalition included 32 nations, but the term often drew snickers because many of the members, such as Estonia and Tonga, were among America's smallest allies and contributed fewer than 100 troops.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-iraq-ceremony2-2010jan02,0,6438786.story

[ck4829]

1. Who will be the last person who will have to die for this lie?

[rgbecker]

2. 32 Countries "willing" to counter the UN vote and wage an illegal war!

Thank Allah the Iraqis have been willing to let us out of there with as few casualties as there were. I noted that as soon as we started withdrawing from the cities and said we were leaving, the violence abated.

[merh]

3. Well, there was that

and the money paid to the leaders of the factions.

The promise that we are leaving is a biggie. They know that if they keep up the violence they will give us reason to stay so they hold off.

[No Elephants]

4. Since we're paying them not to attack our troops, wouldn't they want us to stay?

Bye bye G.I. Joe and Jane, bye bye Yankee dollar,

[merh]

5. No

They are more concerned with their freedom from our occupation than they are with yankee dollar.

They just take the money while we are willing to give it.

[struggle4progress]

8. Only a handful of countries in the nebulous coalition actually provided troops.

Coalition of the Willing? Not us, say Solomon islanders By Alan Perrott
The New Zealand Herald
March 27, 2003
Sorry, President Bush, but if you are counting on the Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force to watch your back in Iraq, you're out of luck. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza yesterday said "thanks but no thanks" after hearing his nation had been shanghaied into the US-led Coalition of the Willing. "The Government is completely unaware of such statements being made, therefore wishes to disassociate itself from the report," said Mr Kemakeza ... http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/527/follow_up_the_coalition_of_the_willing_to_be_paid_minus_two

White House Notebook: Many Willing, But Few Are Able
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, March 25, 2003; Page A07
There must have been shock in Baghdad and awe in Paris last week when the White House announced the news that Palau had joined the "coalition of the willing." Palau, an island group of nearly 20,000 souls in the North Pacific, has much to contribute. It has some of the world's best scuba diving, delectable coconuts and tapioca. One thing Palau cannot contribute, however, is military support: It does not have a military. "It's rather symbolic," said Hersey Kyota, Palau's ambassador to Washington, of his country's willingness to be listed in the 46-member coalition of the willing engaged in the Iraq war. Kyota said the president of Palau, which depends on the U.S. military for its security, on a visit to Washington, "thought it was a good idea to write a letter of support, so he did." Kyota said Palau gamely offered its harbors and airports to the effort, but the offer was graciously declined, as Palau is nowhere near Iraq ... http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A21268-2003Mar24?language=printer

[polly7]

9. The Lonliest Icelander

http://www.casttv.com/video/hlpinf/the-loneliest-icelander-video

This is one of the very few videos having to do with Iraq that I still laugh about.

[struggle4progress]

10. That's so unfair! Iceland sent more than one person in Iraq! They sent three!

[Solly Mack]

6. k&r

[StarfarerBill]

7. We're not gone yet, and will be targeted till then.

In the meantime and afterward, the Iraqi antagonists will come back together...with continuing bloodshed.