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Non-US Forces in Iraq - 26 December 2004

The size and capabilities of the Coalition forces involved in operations in Iraq has been a subject of much debate, confusion, and at times exageration. As of December 24, 2004, there were 27 non-U.S. military forces participating in the coalition and contributing to the ongoing stability operations throughout Iraq. These countries were Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the Kingdom of Tonga. As of October 15, 2004, the MNF-I website incorrectly included Honduras in the list; that country's troops returned in late May. It also incorrectly list the Dominican Republic; its troops left in early-May. The MNF-I listing also omits the Kingdom of Tonga who deployed 45 Royal Marines in early July to Iraq.

On Dec 24, Armenia's parliament approved the deployment of 46 troops to Iraq, possibly in January 2005. Until the deployment actually takes place, Armenia is not being included in the count of countries taking part in the coalition. Hungary completely pulled its troops out of Iraq by December 22. Fiji deployed 150 troops to Iraq, but they are there under UN banner (UNAMI) and are therefore not be counted in the coalition. Singapore deployed a shipt to the Persian Gulf on Nov. 27, but since the country does not actually contribute troops on the ground in Iraq, it is not being included in the coalition count.

Countries which had troops in or supported operations in Iraq at one point but have pulled out since: Nicaragua (Feb. 2004); Spain (late-Apr. 2004); Dominican Republic (early-May 2004); Honduras (late-May 2004); Philippines (~Jul. 19, 2004); Thailand (late-Aug. 2004); and New Zealand (late Sep. 04).

Countries planning to withdraw from Iraq: Poland (starting Jan.05 and completed by end.05(?)); the Netherlands (Mar. 05); Hungary (end Dec. 04).

Countries which have reduced or are planning to reduce their troop commitment: Ukraine (-200); Moldova (reduced contingent to 12); Norway (reduced from ~150 to 10 late-Jun.04, early Jul.04); Bulgaria (-50, Dec.04); Poland (-700, Feb.05); Ukraine (entire contingent, 1st half of 2005).

Countries planning or rumored to be planning to increase troop contingent to Iraq: Georgia (+691(security for UN)(?)); Romania (rumor, 100+ in support of UNAMI); Albania (+130); Thailand (200(?)).

Countries planning to deploy troops to Iraq: Armenia (46, possibly in January 2005).

Countries supporting UNAMI: Fiji (150+)

Countries with other contribution, but no troops in Iraq: Singapore (LST ship with 180-person crew in Persian Gulf).

Countries refusing to send troops because of security situation: Pakistan.

Recent developments

• On Jan. 10, 2005, the outgoing Ukrainian President, Leonid Kuchma, tasked his government's defense and foreign ministers to begin planning for the withdrawal of Ukraine's contingent from Iraq in the first half of 2005.
• The United Kingdom announced on January 10, 2005, that it would deploy more troops to Iraq in order to help boost security support for the upcoming Iraqi elections. The UK would deploy an additional 400 troops from the 1st Battalion, "The Royal Highland Fusiliers," "for a limited period of time" as security reinforcements. The Cyprus-based battalion, known as the "Extremely High Readiness Reserve battalion," would deploy to Iraq to join Multinational Division (Southeast).
• The South Korean parliament voted on Dec. 31 to extend the deployment of its contingent in Iraq for a period of one year.
• Associated Press reported on Dec. 24, that Armenia's Parliament had approved that day by a vote of 91-23 the deployment of a contingent of 46 troops to Iraq. The troops's role would ostensibly only be to only conduct humanitarian operations. They would be assigned to the Polish Area of Responsibility. It was not exacly clear when the troops would be deployed, though it could happen as early as January 2005.
• AFP reported on Dec. 22, that Hungary's contingent of troops had begun arriving home from Iraq that day at Budapest airport. All of Hungary's troops were reported by the Defence Ministry to have left Iraq that day, with the redeployment expected to be completed by Christmas. However, Hungary is set to deploy 150 non-combat troops to Iraq in mid-2005, as part of a larget NATO training mission, a mission which does not require parliamentary approval.
• RFE/RL reported on Dec. 20, that Fiji's contingent of troops in support of UNAMI had arrived in Iraq. It also reported that Romania had offered 100 troops for UN security outside of Baghdad's Green Zone and that Georgia might deploy 500 troops, in support of UNAMI as well.
• The Bulgarian troop rotation is due to be completed by the end of the year.
• Poland announced on Dec. 14, that it would cut the size of its contingent in Iraq by 700 and down to 1,700 troops by February 2005.
• Agence France Presse reported on Dec. 8, that the deployment of the final group of 800 South Korean troops to Iraq was completed in November.
• Agence France Presse reported on Dec. 4, that the 850 or so troops from the Black Watch Regiment redeployed south to Basra that day.
• On Dec. 4, the Australian Defence Minister announced a naval rotation of Australian ships in the Persian Gulf in support of operations in Iraq, with the frigate HMAS Darwin to soon afterwards replace the light cruiser HMAS Adelaide.
• A Dec. 3 ITAR-TASS report noted that there were 1,589 Ukrainian troops with 2,072 pieces of equipment deployed to Iraq. It also noted that a majority of the Ukrainian Parliament had offered their support for a proposal calling on the country's president to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
• The Press Association reported on Dec. 1, that the British MoD had announced that day that the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment would deploy to Iraq in early January 2005 as part of a normal rotation to replace troops of the 40 Commando Royal Marines stationed there.
• The Macedonian state news agency reported on Nov. 30, that as part of a regularly scheduled rotation, a new contingent of troops was to deploy to Iraq and would be there from December 2004 until June 2005. The report stated that the unit would be drawn from the Rangers' Battalion of the Army Special Operations Forces and would number 32 troops in addition to a liaison officer in Baghdad, as well as another liaison officer and a representative at CENTCOM in Tampa, FL.
• The Bulgarian news agency reported on Nov. 30, that the first group of troops from the fourth Bulgarian unit to rotate into Iraq had arrived at their base location at Camp E in al-Diwaniyah.
• Agence France Presse reported on Nov. 30, that General Bill Rollo, second in command of British forces in Iraq, had acknowledged that more British might be dispatched to areas of Iraq under US control should the need arise.
• A Nov. 29, 20004 AFPS story reported that Singapore dispatched on Nov. 27 a Singapore Armed Forces landing ship tank, RSS Resolution with a crew of 180, to the Persian Gulf. The ship will reportedly "protect waters around oil terminals and provide logistics support for coalition vessels and helicopters. It also will conduct patrols, queries and boarding operations".
• On Nov. 28, the Sunday Telegraph reported that the 2nd Battalion of The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment had been put on 10 days notice to deploy to Iraq. If deployed, it would add another 1,000 or so British troops on the ground.
• A Nov. 28, Bulgarian News Agency quoted the country's Defense Minister as laying a pullout of the country's contingent in Iraq as being dependent on 3 factors: 1) democratic elections; 2) functionning law-enforcement structures; and 3) a request by a new Iraqi government for a pull-out.
• According to a BBC Monitoring report of a Bulgarian Radio item, troops used to fill the 4th Infantry Battalion dispatched to Iraq are drawn from the country's 68th Special Forces Brigade in Plovdiv.
• In a Nov. 18 interview with Rzeczpospolita, the Polish deputy chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Gen Mieczyslaw Cieniuch, confirmed that Poland would have a smaller contingent of troops deployed to Iraq when it implements its fourth rotation of troops there in January 2005. The number of troops was however undetermined.
• The Associated Press reported on Nov. 17, that Bulgaria had begun the fourth rotation of its troop contingent in Iraq, but said that the unit, numbering 462 troops, would leave for Iraq by January 5, 2005.
• AFP repoted on Nov. 16, that following the Parliamentary vote against extending the deployment of the country's contingent in Iraq, the Hungarian government was considering sending troops to Iraq in 2005, but as part of a NATO training force.
• The Hungarian Parliament vote on Nov. 15, against extending the mandate of its contingent in Iraq to March 31, 2005. The mandate of the troops is set to expire on December 31, 2004. As a result, Hungary will withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of the year. The Hungarians were tasked with logistical transport duties in Iraq.
• Agence France Presse reported on Nov. 14, that Japan had deployed 200 troops from the GSDF 6th Division based at Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture, to Iraq the previous day to relieve forces some of its forces already in-country. Part of the country's fourth contingent, they are to be followed by an additional 300 troops by the end of the month. According to a Nov. 13, Kyodo News Service report, the remaining troops are from the Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures and the contingent will replace Japan's third contingent from the GSDF 9th Division, based in Aomori.
• The Korea Herald reported on Nov. 12, that the remaining 800 south Korean troops scheduled to deploy to Iraq would be dispatched the following month.
• RIA Novosti reported on Nov. 7, that Georgia was dispatching a contingent of 300 troops to Iraq via Kuwait. The rotation was to be completed by late the following week and would mark a near-doubling of the country's presence in Iraq.
• The US Dept. of State announced on Nov. 4, that Georgia would increase the size of its contingent in Iraq from 159 to 850, although the increase was framed as being made in order to provide security for the United Nations presence in Iraq.
• The International Herald Tribune reported on Nov. 4, that the Netherlands had confirmed that week that it would not rotate in new troops to replace the contingent in country once its deployment expires.
• Geoff Hoon, the British Defence Secretary, gave assurances on November2, before the Commons defence select committee that the Black Watch regiment troops deployed to Central Iraq would be pulled out within 30 days, and return to its base in Basra, by 2 December, 2004.
• Bulgaria annouced on Nov. 3 that it would reduce the size of its contingent in Iraq to 430 troops during the next scheduled unit rotation, when the 4th Infantry Battalion replaces the 3rd Battalion.
• The Associated Press reportedon on Nov. 3, 2004, that Hungary would withdraw its contigent of troops from Iraq by the end of March 2005.
• The UK announced it would redeploy approximately 850 Black Watch troops to an area near Baghdad from their location near Basrah. The contingent would include 650 troops from the regiment in addition to 200 support troops. According to BBC, Geoff Hoon, UK Defence Minister denied reports the UK would dispatch an additional 1,300 troops to Iraq. The London Times reported on Oct. 21, that the 1,300 troops would be involved in the event that contingency plans had to be put into action. These plans reportedly call for one battalion to be sent to S. Iraq, with another battalion if need be for a short period. Under these plans, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, based in Cyprus, would be likely to be deployed to Iraq on short notice. The article also mentioned that of the UK contingent of troops in Iraq, only 7,400 were ground troops.
• The Algemeen Dagblad reported on Oct. 21, that the Netherlands woudl pull its troops out of Iraq in March 2005, at the end of the troop's mandate. Citing the Dutch Defense Minister, the Dutch Government had reportedly turned down an Iraqi Governmetn request to extend the Dutch contingent's stay in-country.
• The UN reported that Fiji had officially agreed to provide troops as part of a security detail to the UN in Baghdad. Australia would provide most of the equipment to the Fijians. The number of Fijian troops involved was reported to be 130, while the deployment might take place in November.
• The Ukrainian national security and defense council decided on Oct. 19, to gradually reduce the size of its contingent in Iraq. The reduction is reported to begin with the rotation of troops begun on Sep. 22 and will reduce the number of troops there by 200. The rotation was completed on Oct. 15, with 1,200 troops having returned home.
• AAP Newsfeed reported on Oct. 18, that Australia, in addition to its contingent of troops in-country, also had in Iraq an army security called SECDET and composed of 120 troops assigned to protect the Australian embassy.