Shrinking Coalition Watch

After four years and 130 deaths, the UK is finally getting out of Iraq. Tony Blair has announced that 1,600 troops will withdraw over the next few months, with another 500 more by the end of the year. The remaining 5,000 troops will remain through 2008, but look likely to be gone by then. And its not a moment too soon, according to the Iraqis they have been "supporting" - in Basra, the move was almost universally welcomed, with provincial officials and politicians blaming the British for violence and the lack of security in the city.

Meanwhile, the Danes are getting out as well, slashing their deployment by 90% and leaving only a token force behind. I wonder who will be next to get out?

Shrinking coalition watch

Last month, citizens of the Slovak Republic went to the polls and elected a social democrat-led coalition government. The new cabinet has only just been sworn in, and they've already announced their first major foreign policy decision: getting out of Iraq. Currently they have around 100 soldiers there, mostly engineers engaged in mine-clearance. While there's no timetable, I'd expect the withdrawal to be relatively quick.

There's an obvious parallel with Italy's decision here - and with those of Hungary, Ukraine, and Spain. All over Europe, it seems that newly elected governments take the opportunity to detach themselves from Bush's crusade. I guess those politicians know which way the wind is blowing amongst their voters...

Shrinking coalition watch

Japan has announced that it will be pulling its troops out of Iraq. There are 600 Japanese troops in Southern Iraq, doing reconstruction work in a similar manner to the New Zealand deployment. Now, they'll be gone by the end of July. I guess they just didn't think it was worth dying for Bush's doomed crusade anymore...

Desperation

The US is now so desperate for troops to die for Haliburton and provide a fig-leaf of international respectability in Iraq that they asked Cambodia to contribute. Cambodia's answer? "No" - and in no uncertain terms:

"We will not send our armed forces to Iraq because the issue there is not in the hands of the United Nations," Hun Sen told reporters.

But even if the UN were in command, Cambodia would still not send troops to Iraq or Afghanistan, he said following a meeting last week with US Ambassador Joseph A Mussomeli, who asked him to consider sending troops.

"Every day we have seen people get killed and taken hostage" in Iraq, Hun Sen said.

"So I will not let my people, who went through 30 years of suffering from war, see more horrible days of separation and suffering from the continued terrorist activities of decapitating hostages in Iraq," he said.

I guess unilateralism has a price after all...

Shrinking Coalition Watch

South Korea is getting out of Iraq. Citing "the stable security condition" there, the South Korean Defence Minister has announced plans to withdraw around a thousand of the 3600 troops stationed in Irbil. Interestingly, they made the announcement without informing the US government - and just a day after a summit meeting between the US and South Korean Presidents. I guess they decided that Bush just didn't need to know...

Shrinking coalition watch

And now the Poles are leaving. Not immediately, but by the end of the year. They've already reduced their troop levels from 2500 to 1700, and will pull their remaining forces out when the UN mandate expires in December. I guess "New Europe" isn't so keen on Bush's war either, particularly if it means risking de-election...

Shrinking Coalition Watch

The Italians are going home in September. I guess Berluscioni could see which way the wind is blowing...

Bribery

Bush's US$81 billion supplemental budget appropriation for Iraq is to include a US$400 million "solidarity initiative" to "support nations that have deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan". A bribe, in other words.

I'm sure that will go down well in those countries which deployed troops against the overwhelming opposition of their citizens.

Shrinking coalition watch

Ukraine is out.

Shrinking coalition watch

Hungary is next off the sinking ship, and will withdraw its 300 troops by March. While they're non-combatants (similar to New Zealand's contingent), it still marks a withdrawl of international support for the US project in Iraq, backed by enormous public opposition to the US in Hungary.

Shrinking coalition watch

Faced with enormous grassroots opposition and a confidence vote in Parliament, the Polish Prime Minister has promised to start withdrawing troops from Iraq from the beginning of next year:

"Poland will reduce its contingent from the start of 2005 and will discuss subsequent reductions," Belka said Friday during a speech to Parliament.

Democracy beats Bush again. And it's particularly ironic in light of Bush's angry accusation of "you forgot Poland!" in the first Presidential debate...

Shrinking coalition watch

Norway is not renewing its troop deployment to Iraq. Their 180 troops will leave in June. As with Spain, they would rather commit their soldiers to helping fight terrorism in Afghanistan than prop up an American imperial adventure.

Shrinking coalition watch

Honduras is out. Their troops were working with the Spanish, and are following their lead in withdrawing "in the shortest possible time".

Bulgaria meanwhile hasn't pulled out - but has allowed its soldiers to leave if they want to. So far 15% of them have voted with their feet, and more are likely to follow. They're also having trouble finding volunteers for the next deployment. So much for the support of the people of "New Europe"...