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Friday March 19, 12:56 AM Poland 'taken for a ride' over Iraq's WMD: President AFP In a first sign of official criticism in Poland of the US-led invasion of Iraq, President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that his country had been "taken for a ride" about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in the strife-torn country. "That they deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride," Kwasniewski said Thursday. He argued however that it made no sense to pull US-led coalition troops out of Iraq. His comments marked the first time Poland...

<p>BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- Poland has vowed not to pull troops out of Iraq because of "terrorist" attacks and said it was willing to remain in command of a stabilisation force there if Spain, which had been due to take over, withdrew.</p>

ARLINGTON, Va. — Beginning in September, the Army each month will designate one U.S.-based brigade as a “force stabilized” unit that will arrive, train and fight as a unit for three years before turning over as a group. At the same time, the service will begin a “home basing” approach, which will keep junior soldiers at one installation for six to seven years — well beyond the current three-year average, according to Brig. Gen. Sean Byrne, the Army’s director of military personnel policy. Force stabilization, as the initiative is known, is supposed to foster “increased readiness and stability for the...

See these , U.S.A. does not face terrorists alone

20 August 2003 U.S., 27 Other Nations Providing Troops to Iraq Answer to question taken at August 20 State Department briefing Following is the official answer to a question taken at the August 20 regular State Department briefing; the answer was posted later in the day: U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Question Taken at August 20, 2003 Press Briefing New Troop Contributions to the Coalition in Iraq Question: Have there been any new discussions with countries regarding the contribution of troops to Coalition efforts in Iraq? What are the results of those discussions? Have any new countries...

DUTCH Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende arrived in Iraq today on a surprise visit to Dutch troops stationed there, the Netherlands Government Information Service (RVD) told AFP. "He has arrived and will pay a visit to the soldiers," RVD spokesman Gerard van der Wulp said. The visit was not announced earlier for security reasons. The Dutch have 1200 troops in southern Iraq as part of the US-led multinational force. The snap visit is intended to boost morale among Dutch troops. "We want to show the soldiers that we are thinking of them and that the Netherlands feels their work in...

Conditions Improve in Southeastern Iraq, Says British General By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2003 – The security situation in southeastern Iraq "is now relatively stable" and improving daily along with economic conditions, the British general in charge of that area said in Baghdad today. Maj. Gen. Graham Lamb told reporters that British and other coalition troops in southeastern Iraq have successfully worked with Iraqis to provide security, repair power plants, restore water and sewage services, repair schools and roads, and circumvent oil-smuggling operations. Lamb, the commander of the Multinational Division (South East) for the...

AMSTERDAM, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The Dutch parliament agreed on Thursday to prolong the mission of about 1,100 Dutch marines as part of an international stabilisation force in Iraq by another six months. The troops, who are based in the British-controlled Al Muthanna province in the south of the country, will now stay until July 2004, Defence Ministry spokesman Hendrik Schoenau said. The decision to extend their stay was agreed by a large majority of parliamentarians, despite concern voiced in the assembly and in the Dutch press that the Dutch soldiers could become the target of attacks.

DoD, Coalition to Look into Iraqi Army Resignations By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2003 – Defense Department and coalition officials will look into why about a third of the men in the first battalion of the new Iraqi army have resigned, Pentagon officials said. Officials in Baghdad said the first indication is that many of the men left over pay issues. Officials said between 200 and 250 men in the 600-man battalion resigned. Many said they could make about $10 a month more if they entered other Iraqi security forces. Pentagon officials said they recognize...

Sixteen nations sign on to rebuild Iraq; France holds back 12/6/2003 1:29 PM By: Associated Press ROME (AP) -- The United States has recruited 15 countries to help it rebuild Iraq, but the French are still refusing to take part in the effort. Paris and Washington differed vehemently over the U.S.-led war in Iraq, and the French are still refusing to have any official part in the Iraq reconstruction. Iraq's interim trade minister says the $2.4-billion deal would do for Iraq what the Marshall Plan did for Europe after World War II. The deal was signed in Rome Saturday by...

The Associated Press TOKYO Dec. 4 — The bodies of two Japanese diplomats slain in Iraq were flown to Tokyo on Thursday, while major newspapers reported that the prime minister has approved a plan to start sending 1,000 troops for non-combat duty in Iraq. The diplomats' deaths, the first Japanese fatalities in Iraq since the U.S.-led war started in March, heightened fears that sending troops would make Japan a target of terrorist attacks. But Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said the killings must not deter Japan from contributing to Iraq reconstruction efforts. The Mainichi daily said Koizumi approved the decision...

The Source for Navy News   031010-N-1384B-029 Al Hillah, Iraq (Oct. 10, 2003) -- Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) members and Polish Army soldiers conduct a safe disposal area (SDA) site survey. The SDA will eventually be used to destroy unexploded ordnance found in the Al Hillah area. The Navy EOD team, in conjunction with the Polish army, is in the area to provide Improvised Explosive Device (IED) response. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Phil Beaufort. (RELEASED)   View Larger Download HiRes   Navy EOD Team, Polish Security Operate in IraqStory Number: NNS031107-26Release Date: 11/9/2003 9:01:00 AMBy...

US allies Italy, Spain, Portugal and Poland vowed to keep their 6,000 troops in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition despite the deaths of 23 people in a deadly attack on Italian forces. "Our determination is the same as those Italians in uniform who are honouring the coalition engaged in supporting Iraq on its road to democracy," Italian Prime Minister Silvio said. "No intimidation will change our desire to help this country to rebuild and form a government, in security and freedom." Condolences poured in for the Italian people, with the White House thanking Rome for its help in...

Members of the Polish elite commando team GROM arrive on the beach during an exercise on the Baltic Sea coast October 22, 2003. The elite GROM unit was Poland's only active participant in Operation Iraqi Freedom and may have also won a new lease on its existence during the Iraqi war. Photo by Peter Andrews/Reuters Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, left, gives a medal to Polish soldiers for their work in Iraq (news - web sites) during his visit at the Camp Babylon Base, some 80 miles south of Baghdad, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2003. Miller marked his country's 85th...

SOUTH Korea confirmed today that it will send thousands of troops to Iraq to help US forces there. Washington and Seoul, however, differed on the size of South Korea's troop deployment, with Seoul offering to send 3000 soldiers while Washington requested more, said Lee Soo-hyuk, a senior Foreign Ministry official. The two sides will continue their discussions when US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld visits Seoul in mid-November, said Lee, who led a government delegation to Washington last week to work out details of the deployment. "After Turkey cancelled its plan to dispatch troops, the United States earnestly wants other...

KIEV, Ukraine - Seven Ukrainian peacekeepers were wounded when militants attacked their patrol in southern Iraq, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Two armored personnel carriers with 17 Ukrainian peacekeepers were ambushed Tuesday night near As Suwayrah, northwest of their base at Kut in southern Iraq, said Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Kostiantyn Khivrenko. Three mines exploded under the vehicles, and militants then opened fire. Khivrenko said that the wounded soldiers' condition was stable. Five of them were hospitalized in Baghdad, and the two others suffered only slight injuries. A Ukrainian peacekeeper died earlier this month when the vehicle he was...

By Adrian Croft REUTERS FORMENTOR, Spain – Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey preferred not to send troops to Iraq if Iraqis did not want them there, but said the decision ultimately rested with the United States. NATO member Turkey has offered troops to help stabilise Iraq after the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein in April, but the prospect has angered the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council and rattled Kurds in northern Iraq. At a news conference during a seminar on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Erdogan said Turkey's offer of troops was simply a response to a...

South Korea to Send Troops to Iraq 1 hour, 22 minutes ago By JAE-SUK YOO, Associated Press Writer SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea (news - web sites) said Saturday it would send additional troops to help U.S. forces rebuild and stabilize Iraq (news - web sites). "The government will decide on the number, characteristics and timing of the dispatch after considering the U.S. request and public opinion," said Yoon Tae-young, a spokesman for South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Yoon did not clarify whether the unidentified number of new troops will be combat or non-combat forces. South Korea has sent...

WASHINGTON — Turkey's vote authorizing peacekeeping troops for Iraq is a victory for the Bush administration, which has been working for months to entice allies to send more forces &#8212; especially Muslim troops &#8212; to ease pressure on American forces. But Turkey's move, while welcomed by the White House, could further complicate the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. Iraq's American-appointed governing council opposes having troops from neighboring Turkey in the country, reflecting fears Turkey wants to dominate the country or suppress its Kurdish population. And any new Turkish forces probably won't arrive in time to erase the need for two National Guard...

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to give the government permission to send troops to Iraq (news - web sites), a move that could lead to the first contingent of Muslim peacekeepers being sent to Iraq. Lawmakers voted 358-183 in a closed-door session in favor of dispatching troops, which would help patch up damaged ties with Washington and give Turkey a say in ruling Iraq. The motion gives the government the authority to send troops for a year, but does not specify how many troops would be deployed or when. Washington has asked Turkey to contribute some 10,000...

Mon October 6, 2003 03:55 PM ET By Steve Holland and Mona Megalli WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - President Bush said on Monday he had ordered a major reorganization of U.S. efforts to bring stability to post-war Iraq, and the Turkish Cabinet sought parliamentary approval to send peacekeepers to help restore security to the country. Bush, under increasing pressure to bring stability and security to Iraq, named national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to head an "Iraq Stabilization Group" charged with coordinating U.S. efforts on counterterrorism, economic issues, political institutions and communications. The reorganization gave Rice a more direct role over the situation...

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey's Cabinet agrees to deploy troops to help stabilize Iraq, seeks authorization from Parliament.

Captain Byambaa Chinzorig is, perhaps not surprisingly, a little touchy about 1258 and all that. When Mongolian forces last came to Iraq, led by the great warrior Prince Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, they sacked Baghdad, killed an estimated 800,000 people, brought to a bloody end the Abbasid caliphate and destroyed a vast array of ornate public buildings and a sophisticated irrigation system. Today, 745 years later, their plans are much more modest. "We all know the history of the 13th century when the Mongolian soldiers captured Iraq but this time is completely different," said Capt Chinzorig, 30, a proud...

SEOUL, South Korea — Washington's request that South Korea dispatch thousands of infantry troops to Iraq has sparked a new round of anti-American protests in Seoul. The controversy erupted after Seoul officials acknowledged that the United States has requested the deployment of a "light infantry division" consisting of between 2,000 and 10,000 combat soldiers to Iraq. Hundreds of anti-U.S. activists staged a rally in central Seoul Tuesday to oppose any further role for South Korean troops in Iraq. In May, South Korea dispatched about 675 army engineers and medics to assist the U.S.-led rehabilitation of post-war Iraq. Sending troops to...

US Asks S. Korea for Thousands of Soldiers By Seo Soo-min Staff Reporter The United States has asked South Korea for a light infantry division consisting of at least some 2,000-3,000 soldiers to keep the peace in Iraq, citing the Polish Division in Iraq as an example, a senior government official said yesterday. ``The United States has asked for a division of light infantry soldiers capable of operating on a self-sustainable basis,’’ the official said. He added there was no mention of the exact size, although the Polish Division was mentioned as a likely model. The request was made by...

TOKYO — The United States is demanding Japan send its troops to Iraq early to help rebuild the war-torn country, the Tokyo Shimbun reported Sunday. It said the U.S. is displeased with the uncertain outlook for sending the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to Iraq as Japan plans to delay the dispatch until next year. Japanese government sources cited by the daily quoted a U.S. Defense Department official as asking Japan, "Why don't you shape up?" The U.S. also wants SDF troops to operate on their own in Iraq without relying on U.S. troops, it said. (Kyodo News)

WASHINGTON - President Bush discussed the latest developments in Iraq in a 20-minute phone conversation on Monday with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush thank Kwasniewski for Poland's help in sending troops to Iraq. The United States last week handed military control over a large belt of Iraq south of Baghdad to a Polish commander. "The two leaders discussed the developments in Iraq, including the need to help Iraqis bring greater security to their country and to advance the establishment of democratic Iraqi political institutions," McClellan said. The spokesman said the two presidents also discussed...

Tyszkiewicz: Ladies and gentlemen, (inaudible) we are delighted to host our wonderful guest, the U.S. Secretary of Defense Mr. Donald Rumsfeld. Please join me in applauding him. (Applause.) Rumsfeld: Thank you very much. General, I am so pleased to be here. What's happening here is important in so many ways. First of all to the troops here, thank you so much for what you do, for your service. It's important. It's valued. It's valued by the people of the United States. It's valued I know by the people of your respective countries, and it's certainly valued by the Iraqi...

U.S. Forces Hand Over Parts of Central IraqWed September 3, 2003 06:00 AM ET By Nadim Ladki BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A Polish-led force took over a chunk of central Iraq from U.S. Marines on Wednesday as Washington sought to relieve the burden on its troops by widening international participation in Iraq's security. The Marines, in charge of the area for several months, handed over control of a South-Central zone of Iraq to the Polish-led multinational force. "I have absolute faith and confidence in the 21 nations that will assume their responsibilities today," Lieutenant-General Ricardo Sanchez, commander of U.S. troops...

<p>BABYLON, Iraq &#8212; The United States, eager to share security duties in Iraq, handed military control over a large swath of the country to a Polish commander yesterday during a ceremony in the ruins of an amphitheater built by Alexander the Great.</p>

BABYLON, Iraq, Sept 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Marines handed over control of a patch of central Iraq on Wednesday to a Polish-led multinational force in a ceremony in ancient Babylon. The handover is part of efforts by Washington to relieve the burden on its troops occupying Iraq since the war that ousted Saddam Hussein in April. "I have absolute faith and confidence in the 21 nations that will assume their responsibilities today," Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, told a ceremony in an open air amphitheatre in Babylon. In Warsaw, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said...

By ANDREW ENGLAND, Associated Press Writer BABYLON, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday symbolically marked the transfer of control over the south-central part of the country to an international force led by Poland, hailing the handover as a sign of the international community's commitment to Iraq. In Baghdad, the interim Governing Council swore in members of the newly appointed 25-member Cabinet that will begin taking over many of the day-to-day duties of governing the country from the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority. While military control was ceremoniously passed to the Poles, the handover...

US cancels handover of Najaf to Polish troops By Daniel Howden in Warsaw 02 September 2003 US forces have cancelled a planned withdrawal from the troubled Iraqi city of Najaf on the eve of its handover to Polish commanders. Defence ministry sources in Warsaw confirmed that the city, 100 miles south of Baghdad, will remain under US command in the aftermath of the car bomb attack on Friday that left more than 100 dead. America's decision not to hand over Najaf to Polish control will widen the split in public opinion about the war in one of America's staunchest European...

Latest News AUG 29, 2003<Begin Rant> We are not alone, after all. As of this week, there were 136,000 U.S. troops and 22,000 troops from 28 countries in Iraq.  That's right.  Twenty-eight.  Not two. Not three.  Not ten.  Dutch and Italian forces are currently assisting at Tallil - where Chromey is stationed - and are taking on more responsibilities.  Why then the talk of needing an Official UN Permission Slip? If I understand the so-called predicament correctly, the US is seeking a UN mandate in order to say it's 'OK' for everyone to actually be there in an attempt...

ANKARA - Richard Myers, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States wanted to work with Turkey in Iraq, but Turkey will make its own decision on sending peacekeepers to Iraq. Myers, as well as the Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, attended a reception late Thursday in Washington, hosted by the Turkish Armed Forces' attache. Turkey is one of the countries that Washington has requested to send troops to Iraq to help stabilization of the war-torn country. Government officials have signaled that a decision was unlikely to come in September and said Parliament could convene in...

As Marines go home, Bulgarians keep city secureSubmitted by: I Marine Expeditionary ForceStory Identification Number: 200382595648Story by Army Spc. Benjamin R. Kibbey KARBALA, Iraq(Aug. 26, 2003) -- After more than five months rebuilding the local infrastructure, the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment are preparing to return to home after handing over to the Bulgarian Army Aug. 26. The Bulgarian force is in the city to guarantee a secure environment for the continued work to be done both by coalition members and the various nonprofit organizations operating in the city. The secure situation of the city is among...

Coalition forces (Dutch/Italian) provide airfield security at Tal lil Air Base, IraqStory and photo by Staff Sgt. Ward GrosTroops from the 28 countries that have committed forces to support the International Coalition in Iraq have begun assuming more and more duties. Dutch and Italian forces at Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq who are providing internal airfield security together. The Dutch conduct roving patrols while the Italians man checkpoints and provide a quick reaction force for the airfield. “Although we have different responsibilities, our area of responsibility is the same,” said Italian Master Sgt. Gianni Pitzalis who works force...

VIENNA, Austria - They're talking tough - and standing firm. Nations that have sent forces to help keep the peace in postwar Iraq have no immediate plans to draw down or pull out despite mounting casualties, eroding security and a growing wariness of the potential for a quagmire. From Slovakia to Singapore, coalition governments are steeling their resolve. Others are offering more than troops, such as Hungary, which says it's open to a U.S. proposal to train up to 28,000 Iraqi police cadets at one of its military bases. "To run away from this conflict only means to turn a...

CANBERRA — Australia is resisting U.S. requests for a fresh contribution of troops to Iraq, as the security situation deteriorates, a newspaper reported today. The Australian reported unnamed Australian sources said U.S. officials were raising the issue of a peacekeeping contribution through informal channels but no formal appeal had been made. Australian government officials were not immediately available for comment. The report said the approaches had been made in "recent days" and follow an escalation of violence in Iraq and last week's truck-bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed the top United Nations envoy and at least 22 others....

Fri August 22, 2003 07:05 PM ET By Randall Mikkelsen SEATTLE (Reuters) - President Bush said on Friday more foreign troops would join U.S. forces in Iraq and the occupation was becoming a battle against "al Qaeda type fighters." "We do need and welcome more foreign troops into Iraq and there will be more foreign troops in Iraq," Bush told reporters during a visit to Seattle. He faced questions on Iraq for the first time since a truck bomb on Tuesday killed 24 people at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. Bush gave no signs that he was prepared to cede more...

This morning was attacked by liberal Bush bashers over coffee. Their arguement was the United States need a colalition of nations. I laughed and quoted Rummy from yesterday's briefing that 90 countries are in the fight on terrorism and 20 nations have boots on the ground. Spent a good bit of time this morning on the internet searching for the list and failed to find a current list. Can any Freeprs help with this list and where can we find it ?? Thanks

The Spanish government came under pressure Wednesday to withdraw its troops from Iraq as it mourned the first Spanish fatality in the international reconstruction effort to rebuild the war-shattered country. Navy captain Manuel Martin Oar was one of at least 24 people killed in Tuesday's attack against the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which has been condemned around the world. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a staunch US and British ally in the war on Iraq, has pledged a 1,300-strong troop contingent for the reconstruction effort despite growing public concern. Spain already has 744 soldiers there, but the death...

Poland scaled back its military commitment in Iraq yesterday in response to Tuesday's devastating attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Under a hastily agreed new formula for the occupation, Polish troops will withdraw from a "high-risk area" near Baghdad, leaving the territory to come under the command of US forces, Polish Foreign Ministry officials revealed."We have ceded 1,000 square kilometres that would have come under the control of the Polish command to the US administration," Tadeusz Iwinski, a senior foreign policy adviser to the Polish Prime Minister, Leszek Miller, told The Independent.Poland is due to take formal charge of...

<p>August 15, 2003 -- A NTIWAR or administration critics continue to lament (or rejoice) that only a "handful" of foreign troops are in or on their way to Iraq, thanks to the Bush administration's supposed "unilateralism." Yet there are already rather more foreign troops already in Iraq than most people realize.</p>

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 — The Bush administration has abandoned the idea of giving the United Nations more of a role in the occupation of Iraq as sought by France, India and other countries as a condition for their participation in peacekeeping there, administration officials said today. Instead, the officials said, the United States would widen its effort to enlist other countries to assist the occupation forces in Iraq, which are dominated by the 139,000 United States troops there. In addition to American forces in Iraq, there are 21,000 troops representing 18 countries. At present, 11,000 of that number are from...

Polish Troops Look Forward to Iraq Duty By ANDRZEJ STYLINSKI .c The Associated Press SZCZECIN, Poland (AP) - The Polish public is less than supportive about sending their soldiers into Iraq. But as Poland readies for its largest peacekeeping mission ever, soldiers say they are looking forward to showcasing their military prowess while offering Iraqi a helping hand. ``We have some idea about what life will be there - certainly dangerous - but we are trained for that,'' says Pvt. Jacek Herbot, 23. ``It will be difficult for us to understand each other, hard to adjust to Arab customs. I...

Battle of Wills Itsuo Inouye, The Associated Press Japanese lawmakers in the upper house got into a shoving match July 25 over a bill that would send Japanese troops to help with the reconstruction of Iraq. Yuko Mori, a female opposition lawmaker (center), swarms over the crowd in an effort to reach a chairman involved in the bill's passage. The ruling party planned to approve the bill.

<p>SZCZECIN, Poland &#8212; More than 2,000 Polish soldiers left for Iraq yesterday, the first in a series of deployments from a Europe that has proved willing to send troops to Iraq despite anti-U.S. pressure from France and Germany.</p> <p>The soldiers will be part of a 9,200-strong Polish-led multinational division ensuring security in one of postwar Iraq's four zones.</p>

  China:  Japan has an Axe to Grind     Despite a last-ditch protest by all the opposition parties, Japan's Upper House approved a controversial bill on Saturday to send the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to help rebuild Iraq. Under the new law, which is valid for four years, Japan will dispatch some 1,000 of its SDF soldiers to Iraq in October. Their role will be to provide logistics support to the United States and British forces in humanitarian relief, reconstruction efforts and peacekeeping operations. The new law, for the first time, enables Japan to send its SDF troops overseas to...