US sees coalitions of the willing as best ally (for future conflicts?)

[sabra]

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/2d042bd0-7d51-11da-875c-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=c1a5b968-e1ed-11d7-81c6-0820abe49a01.html

US sees coalitions of the willing as best ally

Building on its experience in Iraq, the Bush administration says it wants to be able to form “coalitions of the willing” more efficiently for dealing with future conflicts rather than turning to existing but unreliable institutional alliances such as Nato.


“We ‘ad hoc’ our way through coalitions of the willing. That’s the future,” a senior State Department official said in a briefing this week that reflected Washington’s search for alternatives to the post-second world war global architecture in the new era of its “war on terror”.

Acknowledging that the coalition in Iraq had required the US to “scramble around capitals”, he said the Bush administration sought ways of what he called regularising processes and standardising operating procedures and the generation of force requirements.

He did not elaborate and would not say whether such planning was being made with Iran in mind. “We are focused on the enduring dynamics of coalition warfare,” the official, who asked not to be named, told reporters late on Tuesday.

[Spazito]

1. What coalition?????

There ain't no coalition, it is Britian and the U.S., that's it.

[sabra]

2. cough cough... you forgot Poland! :-)

[Spazito]

5. Damn, I did! I guess I better pack for Gitmo!

:spank: :spank:


:rofl:

[struggle4progress]

12. Aren't they talking about cutting troops again?

I think George kicked them under the table the first few times they actually talked about leaving ...

[leesa]

22. I don't think even Poland will sign up for the next invasion since Condi

informed them they are in on the war crimes party afterwards. Not everyone has the immunity from prosecution that the US bartered for.

[VegasWolf]

3. You forgot Grenada!!! They donated a trooper. nt

:sarcasm:

[papau]

4. Excluding the Brits - did the "coalition" add even 10,000 to the troops

on the ground in Iraq?

Bush41 and Clinton had coalitions that were more than PR.

This idiot would call the US plus 1 pacific Island policeman a "grand coalition" - and our media would never question the words used.

[Spazito]

6. Here is the list as of March 2005, some of these have or are in the

the process of withdrawing:
In order of number of troops (estimated) committed to Iraq as of March 2005:

USA 130,000
United Kingdom 8,761
South Korea 3,600
Italy 3,085 -- began phased withdrawal of troops in March 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4350213.stm
Poland 1,700
Ukraine 1,450 -- announced to withdraw troops by October 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4310987.stm
Georgia 889
Romania 860
Australia 850
Netherlands 800 -- began phased withdrawal of troops in March 2005 http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=7413
Japan 550 -- limited to non-combat zones only
Denmark 496
Bulgaria 450 -- began phased withdrawal of troops in March 2005 http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/15/europe/web.0315iraq.html
El Salvador 380
Mongolia 180
Azerbaijan 151
Latvia 122
Lithuania 118
Slovakia 105
Czech Republic 80
Albania 71
Estonia 55
Macedonia 33
Kazakhstan 25
Norway 10 -- has withdrawn the 179 soldier strong force of engineers and currently has 10 staff officers deployed in Iraq http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=116&sid=420737
Angola 0
Colombia 0
Costa Rica 0 -- asked to be removed from the official coalition list in September 2004
Dominican Republic 0 -- withdrew troops in May 2004
Eritrea 0
Ethiopia 0
Honduras 0 -- withdrew troops in June 2004
Hungary 0 -- withdrew troops in December 2004
Iceland 0
Kuwait 0
Micronesia 0
Moldova 0 -- withdrew troops in February 2005
Nicaragua 0 -- withdrew troops in February 2004
Philippines 0 -- withdrew troops in July 2004
Portugal 0 -- withdrew troops in March 2005
Rwanda 0
Singapore 0 -- withdrew its single amphibious transport dock deployed in the Persian Gulf in March 2005 http://www.mindef.gov.sg/display.asp?number=2400
Solomon Islands 0
Spain 0 -- withdrew troops in June 2004
Thailand 0 -- withdrew troops in August 2004
Tonga 0
Uganda 0
Uzbekistan 0

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Coalition_of_the_willing

[papau]

8. Many more than I thought albeit under 20,000 - Thanks for the info

:-)

[struggle4progress]

14. Bulgaria and Ukraine pulled out in December. Solomon Islands repeatedly ..

.. disavowed belonging at all.

[Spazito]

16. Yes, a number have pulled or reduced troops, if they had any there,

since this list was compiled. The ones left, primarily, have no feet on the ground there and the majority left, imo, agreed to be listed to keep their U.S. aid coming in.

[NuttyFluffers]

18. Goooo, Micronesia!

"gimme an M!" M! "gimme an I!" I! "gimme a C!" C! "gimme an R!" R! "gimme an O!" O! "gimme 'amnesia'!" wha...? "all right! what does that spell?" i forgot, it's too long, is that even a country, i'm gonna go watch sports on tv now... "yeaah, willing coalition! yay!"

:crazy:

[modrepub]

20. More like coalition of the bribed

Other than the United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan all of our "allies" are drains on our resources meaning we have to provide funding and support just to have them there. I remember an NPR report about Ukrainian troops needing US support to move them around when their russian-made vehicles broke down in the 120 degree heat. No offense to those troops on the ground but how much are you helping us if we have to pay you and transport you around (or confine you to the green zone as with Japanese troops who were at one point forbidden from entering offensive combat situations)? Mere window dressing most of it.

[TheBaldyMan]

21. second biggest contingent in Iraq are 'private security contractors'

can you spell 'Blackwater' and they have their greedy little talons in New Orleans as well.

[Barrett808]

7. So, ad hockery is to replace the UN

Sad and embarrassing.

[HuffleClaw]

9. coalitions of the 'willing'

what a joke. the 'coerced', the 'bought' is more like it. so, AGAIN, they unilaterally decide they won't bother with such trivialities as the UN (while DEMANDING other nations do) while whining about the 'international commmunity's obligations'. translation; they KNOW the UN won't play their games so in an effort to legitimize their criminal actions will form their own little 'coalitions' to continue the march to war. and YES, iran is most certainly the next target.

[Lisa]

10. yes -- it's come down to "fixin' to round me up a posse" ...

More than a hundred years of international community-building efforts (with a considerable contribution from Americans, too) -- and it's come down to this. Self-appointed vigilantes, geopolitical opportunists, and those who are COW'd into signing on. Bush, and after him, an unending chain of bullies. What next, mercenaries? Oh wait, we already have those -- all those corporate "security firms".

[sweetheart]

13. that's it isn't it

...a posse out for some whoop whooop possum shootin'.
a posse of criminals out running the police by impersonating
police... its quite a scam.

Would that the public offer up the real cost of bush
for a "REWARD" on the BFEE Wanted poster... 1 trillion dollars
to put bush and his criminals away forever tomorrow... and that
is cheap next to what they are stealing every day they keep
up drunk-president driving.

[daleo]

11. Ad hoc collections of the bribed and dominated

With no consistent philosophy, no legal structure, nothing. In civil politics, these would be called protection rackets, vigilante groups, or lynch mobs, depending on the particular circumstance.

[Amonester]

15. Germany sees coalition of the Axis as best ally (1940 somethin')

/sarcasm ... (almost)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

The Axis Powers were those opposed to the Allies. The 3 major Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Empire of Japan, referred to themselves as the "Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis". At their zenith, the Axis powers ruled empires that dominated large portions of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, but they were ultimately defeated at the end of World War II. Like the Allies, membership of the Axis was fluid, and some nations entered and later left the Axis during the course of the war.

* Major Axis powers

o Nazi Germany, under Führer Adolf Hitler (and in the last days of the war, President Karl Dönitz)
o Japan, under Emperor Hirohito, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo (and in the last days of the war, Kuniaki Koiso and Kantaro Suzuki).
o Italy (until September 8, 1943), under Prime Minister Benito Mussolini & King Victor Emmanuel III.

* Lesser Axis powers

o Bulgaria (until August 1944)
o Hungary (until April 4, 1945)
o Romania (until August 1944)
o Italian Social Republic (Republic of Salò), under Benito Mussolini
* Countries in active coalition with the Axis

o Finland (Anti-Comintern Pact 1941; June 26, 1944 – July 31, 1944, Ryti-Ribbentrop Agreement)
o Independent State of Croatia (until May 1945)
o Thailand, under Field Marshal Luang Phibunsongkhram.
o Provisonal Government of Free India, under Subhas Chandra Bose.

* Under direct internal Axis control

o Manchukuo (Manchuria; until August 1945)
o Mengjiang (until August 1945)
o Reformed Government of the Republic of China (until August 1945)
o Vichy France (until August 1944)
o Slovakia (until 1944-45)
o Lokot Republic (until 1943)
o Belarusian Central Rada (until 1944)
o Reichskommissariat Ostland (until 1944)
o Reichskommissariat Ukraine (until 1943-44)

* Neutral countries with good relations with the Axis

o Spain (until 1945)
o Portugal (until 1945). At the same time, it held a secular alliance with Britain.
o USSR (until June 22, 1941, Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)
o Switzerland
o Sweden
o Turkey (until 1945) receiving certain military equipment, also poses political and commerce link with Axis for sometimes
o Argentina (pro-Axis neutrality until March 27, 1945 when declared war against Germany and Japan under American pressure.)
o Vatican City

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

Forward to the past...:sarcasm:

[Demeter]

17. There Aren't Going To Be Any Coalitions Of The Willing

Except for the coalition that is going to prosecute war crimes in the Hague.

[SoCalDem]

19. Coalitions of the willing to accept our money ...n/t