Who are "the Coalition"?

[kotori]

I know the British are committed to this, and I imagine Spain (given the support in the UN and weekend summit, &c.), but what other countries? I thought I heard Poland. Is that right?

Will this be the first external deployment of Polish troops since Prague in '68?

 

[Thrillhouse]

Insert Polish joke here.

 

[Pyper]

They were running them on Headline News tonight. You will be reassured to know we have such superpowers as Estonia and Azerbaijan on our side.

 

[LukkyKnight]

Fuck, kotori, I still don't know who the Clique is, can we solve one thing at a time here?

 

[perks]

jesse jackson

 

[sweet soft kiss]

The only ones with troops that I know of are
The U.S.
The British
The Australians

I know Spain, Portugal, Italy and one of the old Soviet (Georgia maybe) have added moral support...

As for the rest I don't know...

 

[Pyper]

Oh yes, and Uzbekistan. Go, Uzbekistan!

 

[sweet soft kiss]

Fuck, kotori, I still don't know who the Clique is, can we solve one thing at a time here?

Clique??... theres a Clique here?

wow.... who would have thought that?

 

[Problem Child]

I'm pretty sure Bakersfield, California is firmly in the Allied camp.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Fuck, kotori, I still don't know who the Clique is, can we solve one thing at a time here?

Yeah!

 

[Azwed]

Oh yes, and Uzbekistan. Go, Uzbekistan!

Hey they have nukes.

Well they used to might have sold them all to someone by now.

 

[p_p_man]

I know the British are committed to this, and I imagine Spain (given the support in the UN and weekend summit, &c.), but what other countries? I thought I heard Poland. Is that right?

Will this be the first external deployment of Polish troops since Prague in '68?

There are 35 members of which the US, UK and Australia are doing the actual fighting.

The others are providing support in one way or another...

ppman

 

[Spinaroonie]

i told u Cameroon wus hardcore.

 

[kotori]

Will the Clique be sending troops, or just supplying logistical support?

 

[morninggirl5]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationw...19,0,3888671.story?coll=ny-top-span-headlines

On the brink of military confrontation with Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday said 45 countries have agreed to be part of a "coalition of the willing," but he didn't say exactly what the nations are willing to do.

<snip>

The 30 named countries are: Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

No Arab nation made the list of known countries, but State Department officials declined to say that represented a lack of support.

Some Middle East analysts speculate that Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are among the 15 unidentified countries.

"There are certain sensitivities to the Arab world involved here," said Nile Gardiner, an analyst for the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank. "But it's clear that these countries are cooperating with the United States."

 

[LukkyKnight]

Will the Clique be sending troops, or just supplying logistical support?

They're meeting in a secret bunker to determine their plans even as you read this.

Don't ask me how I know.

 

[kotori]

Thanx, MG5.

 

[morninggirl5]

Thanx, MG5.

You're welcome.

 

[patient1]

Most of this coalition is passive compared to Desert storm,
Offering over-flight rights, re-fueling bases, chemical decontamination units, use of hospitals, a hospital ship, etc.
A few are contributing money. Perhaps interpreters.

I think the eastern-European nations are offering to assume some of the American NATO duties, to free up additional units.

Colombia is basically diplomacy/lip service - they are about the 3rd largest recipient of American aid.

Last I heard & read Turkey had agreed to overflight rights in exchange for the right to enter Iraq to "protect ethnic turks"& a pledge from the Iraqi kurds to preserve the territorial integrity of Iraq. The billions were off the table, & so were the no-fly zone patrols based there. They deny even refueling privileges.

 

[tendril]

They were running them on Headline News tonight. You will be reassured to know we have such superpowers as Estonia and Azerbaijan on our side.

Hey, don't forget the military might of Eritrea.fuck Im not even sure how to spell it

 

[The Plunger]

Insert Polish joke here.

The Poles held for 27 days while being invaded in the west by Germany and the east by the Soviet Union. While they were severely overmatched, France and Great Britain managed to stage the Phony War and allow Poland to be overran while they basically did nothing more than sit in their metal and concrete fortifications.

Other candidates for a quick dismisal...

Netherlands lasted 5 days
Belgium lasted 18 days
France lasted 40 days
Norway lasted 59 days

I think it's disrespectful that you think Poland's assistance to the coalition is a joke. Maybe they can't march large amount of troops or equipment out to the battlefield, but at least they are willing to assist within their capabilities.

 

[Frimost]

Comparing New Coalition, 1991 Alliance
By The Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS


How the U.S.-led "coalition of the willing" compares to the 1991 alliance that drove Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait:

---

2003 - 31 nations: Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan.

U.S. State Department says 15 other unidentified countries also have pledged support.

---

1991 - 34 nations: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Britain, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Honduras, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States.

Czechoslovakia since has split into two nations: the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Comparing New Coalition, 1991 Alliance

There you go, your welcome.

 

[Frimost]

A U.S.-led force of about 300,000 troops, roughly 1,000 combat aircraft and a naval fleet was in place in the Persian Gulf region Wednesday, ready to attack Iraq on President Bush's orders. Britain, the United States' chief war partner, has sent 45,000 troops and its largest naval deployment since the 1982 Falklands War.

Those forces will be buttressed by 2,000 Australian military personnel already on standby in the Middle East, along with 14 Hornet fighter jets, transport ships, aircraft and other Australian weaponry.

Poland said it would commit 200 troops, and the Netherlands has contributed three Patriot missile batteries and 360 men to help defend Turkey against an Iraqi counterattack.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have sent 400 anti-chemical warfare specialists to Kuwait, Bulgaria has offered a 150-member noncombat unit, and South Korea said Wednesday it would consider sending noncombat troops as well.

 

[Frimost]

Tiny Albania, with a predominantly Muslim population, has offered to dispatch a small army unit of 70 soldiers to help the anti-Iraqi coalition.


It has also made available its airspace, land routes, territorial waters and training facilities for use by anti-Iraq forces.

Romania recently closed its embassy in Baghdad and removed its personnel because of growing fears of a military conflict in Iraq.

A staunch supporter of US hardline policy towards Iraq, the government has offered Washington non-combat troops and use of its air and military facilities.

Around 4,000 US soldiers are also currently stationed in a military base in the Black Sea town of Constanta ahead of a possible war in the Gulf.

 

[patient1]

I guess you can be part of the coalition by expelling your Iraqi ambassodor, now.