Can someone explain Bush's list of Coalition Nations? Seemded like a lot

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

I had no idea we had such a huge coalition

[RobertSeattle]

1. It's all white wash - GOP Spin

90% of the troops were US, 90%+ of the costs are US, 90% +/- of the causalities are US.

Doesn't sound like much of a coalition to me.

Also, if the "Coalition" is doing so well, why is Bremmer on his hands and knees at the UN right now?

[judge_smales]

2. To be counted as a member

you only have to say you're a part of it. Actually sending troops or $$ is not required. (In fact, I don't think Malta even has an army, and a good 40% of the countries in the "coalition" are of similar size.)

[seasat]

3. If I remember the numbers right...

The only actualy combat troop committed were:

US approx. 150,000
Britain approx. 40,000
Australia approx. 1000
Poland approx. 200

Basically a coalition of the Anglo-Saxon.

The rest only contributed support personel or said, "We support the war now please send us $$$$."

[TyroneStryker]

7. Denmark has troops in there.

I'm sure of it. There was a new report of Danish troops finding some scuds. How many do they have?

[seasat]

10. Don't know how many Danish,

I was referring to combat troops. Some (like Japan) sent a token contingent of troops in after the war to help rebuild or search for the weapons of mass delusion. I think that those I listed were the only ones actually involved in the original invasion or involved in subsequent raids on perceived insurgents.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

13. It's my understanding thet the Danes are a medical unit

can't confirm, but that's what I heard

[RobertSeattle]

17. And remember,

The 150K is US in Iraq - doesn't include the support units and Navy that might not be in Iraq, but are esentially for Iraq operations.

[October]

20. Lithuania sent 50 troops

[Skidmore]

4. He was trying to needle

Dean. It was intended to at once belittle Dean through mimickry. Remember this was a campaign speech.

Any way that was both my husband's and my reaction to that little litany.

[LoneStarLiberal]

5. An Accurate List But A Card Trick Nonetheless

The list was accurate but as par for the course for the Bush administration, deceptive.

Yes, we have all these countries and more in our coalition.

Who carries the burden of providing combat soldiers? The U.S.

What are some of the contributions other countries in our coalition are providing?

<http://www.centcom.mil/Operations/Coalition/joint.htm>

I do not mean to trivialize the contributions that the other members of our coalition are making, but most of these countries and their contributions are nothing more than a bait-and-switch PR stunt so the Bush administration can wrap itself in an illusion of international legitimacy. Here are some examples of what will get you the coveted title of "Coalition Partner:"

New Zealand

New Zealand has deployed the Royal New Zealand Navy Frigate HMNZS Te Mana to the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman . Joining the Canadian‑led Coalition Task Group, Te Mana will be part of the international campaign against terrorism conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations in the region.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3K Orion will also provide maritime surveillance support to the Maritime Interdiction Operations from April 2003.

For the past year Royal New Zealand Air Force C‑1 30 Hercules aircraft have provided short‑term logistics and humanitarian airlift support in and around Afghanistan . This support will continue again in 2003.

New Zealand has deployed officers to staff the International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Afghanistan.

Greece

Following the events of September 11th 2001, from the very start, has fully supported the efforts of international community to combat against international terrorism. In this context, it participates in the entire effort by providing personnel, assets and capabilities, as follows:

Deployment of one (1) MEKO type Frigate, with on board one (1) organic S- 70B6 Helicopter and one (1) Special Operation Team (crew: 217), in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, from March 15, 2002
Souda Bay Naval Base, activated as Forward Logistic Site (FLS), with the highest degree of readiness and security against any threat.
Souda Air Base, providing support to Allied Aircraft.

Enhancing the security measures of U.S facilities in SOUDA Air Base, with the provision of one (1) paratroopers Company (80 men approximately).

Assignment of the following personnel:

4 Staff Officers (2 x Army, Navy, Air Force) to the HQ of USCENTCOM, Tampa, FL.

1 Naval Officer as Liaison to the HQ of NAVCENT, Bahrain.

1 Air Force Officer as Liaison to the HQ of RAMCC, Qatar

Donation for the Afghan National Army:

Pick-up trucks, forklifts, power generators, water purification units and other mechanical equipment.
Battle Dress Uniforms, boots, belts, shocks, brushes, polishes, canteens to dress/equip 660 personnel.
Airlift support
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I realize that you could just as well point to the more robust contributions of Australia, Canada, or Great Britain, but the brutal fact is that none of the remaining countries come close to matching the contributions of those three. The mean contribution is much closer to the above, i.e. something quite small that does nothing to take the pressure and danger off our soldiers whom President Bush has placed at the sharp edge of this conflict.

That's not a coalition in my book.

That's nothing more that a cynical pep rally.

[tom_paine]

9. "A Cynical Pep Rally"

You just described the current state of Imperial Amerika right there.

You can't have a cynicaly dishonest pep rally without a full contingent of gullible fools.

[buckeye1]

6. Just 2, Uk and USA.

The rest are bought or bullied. No prize for you. The contest is for a FALSE/True Republican statement in the speech on policy. I don't think anyone can win. Revised history and facts favors the liars not the winner.
If there is a winner they will be entitled to a Bush "banquet". ($2,000 required) 1 BarS hotdog or the cheapest hamburger we can find.
You will of course become a "pioneer". All your friends will think you are stupid. You are happy because you still have a job.

[mdmc]

8. You were just suprised that Bush could name them all

:dem:

[jmowreader]

12. They were written down for him

Lot of screaming during the SOTU.

[prolesunited]

11. As others have said,

it was merely window dressing. There are far more important countries opposed to the unilateral action that we have taken, and for good reason.

The U.S. cannot bully the rest of the world into submission, nor does it have any authority to do so. Despite Bush's claims to the contrary, this is ALL about empire and ensuring U.S. corporate control of resources worldwide.

[SoCalDem]

14. Sure... This is more like it

the number of nations identified as part of the anti-Iraq coalition. By Friday, the count had reached 45.

"The coalition includes nations from every continent on the globe," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "And for this, the president is grateful." For officials seeking to dispel images of the United States going solo, fattening the coalition numbers makes political sense. But the threshold for coalition membership is low, and the contributions in many cases are passive, postwar oriented or amount to simply a signature.

Marshall Islands ...rocks & shell necklaces

Iceland ....icebox cookies

Greece.. Grecian formula for everyone

Malta... Falcons??

Japan.. Crack Kabuki Drill team

New Zealand... Lamb chops??

Solomon Islands..... kool aid

Britain, supplying roughly 45,000 troops,

Denmark.. assorted cheeses

Spain... Castanets & fine leather saddles for the horsies

Australia, with about 2,000 troops, and a few koalas & roos

Poland, with 200 troops and a logistics ship.

Colombia .....coffee , delivered by Juan Valdez

Philippines ......pineapples & guavas

Eritrea....dust bunnies

Honduras. .....bananas...

Rwanda ...... dirt clods & assorted sticks

Italy......pasta

The Netherlands,....wooden shoes & chocolates

[Kathy in Cambridge]

15. Were Andorra and Liechtenstein on the list?

There are more people in my little city than in those two countries put together...

[KamaAina]

16. No, but Palau was

it's an island in the western Pacific, between Guam and the Philippines. The former U.S. trust territory has about 20,000 people -- and no armed forces (the U.S. is responsible for its defense).

But, they DO get to bid on those lucrative Iraq contracts...

[shanti]

18. and how many nations HAVEN'T signed on??

they conveniently left that one out!

[Oilwellian]

19. Remember this...

the PEOPLE of those nations were protesting by the millions before this criminal war began. Like in this country, the peoples interests are NOT being represented by their leaders.

Instead their support of Bush is based on greed via corporate control of the world's natural resources, and possibly even fear of retribution should they not support Bush's Fourth Reich.

I invite you to check out this site and read the opinions of the PEOPLE.

<snip>
People all over the world are debating the rights and wrongs of a war in Iraq.

Is an attack on Iraq justified? Has Washington made a convincing case that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction? Should the US and UK go it alone without United Nations backing?

BBC News Online sent reporters out onto the streets of some of the world's cities to gauge opinion.
More here.

[spindoctor]

21. The Netherlands

He slipped in good ole Holland during the applause.
Because of a "fallen" Cabinet, The Netherlands did not have a formal government at the time Bush was lobbying for support.
The interim government decided to moraly support the US, but not to send any troops over.

Of course the first time General Franks holds a televized speech from the Middle-East HQ, he is flanked by two Dutch officers. I don't know how that little screw up played out, but what were they gonna do? Impeach an interim government?