Coalition of the willing has become a joke


K S Dakshina Murthy



A story doing the rounds on the worldwide web is that five countries have announced they have joined the United States-led “coalition of the willing”. These countries are: Barsoom, Gondor, Ruri, Narnia and Cardassia.



The “coalition of the willing” has become the butt of jokes rather than serious criticism. Most of the 43 countries which make up the coalition
Bush and Rumsfeld, fronting their supposed coalition
are so obscure in world affairs that their very involvement has had critics of the US-led war rubbing their hands at their good fortune. For it proves their contention that Washington is isolated in its war against Iraq.



Take for instance arch-foes Eritrea and Ethiopia. They are cosying up to the US as they want Washington to resolve their mutual boundary dispute. Or for that matter the new government of Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan. Criticised for its weakness in uniting the country, accused by its critics of being a "puppet regime".



The “Vilnius 10” countries -- Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia. -- are seeking NATO membership. And they expect the US to bring forward their applications in NATO in return for their backseat support.



Other than the United Kingdom and Australia which have both sent combat troops and equipment, most of the others have merely expressed verbal support for the invasion.



East European countries like Romania which is providing basing rights, while Poland has offered 200 troops and the Czech Republic has contributed a chemical-biological warfare support unit.



Spain, which has lent heavy diplomatic backing to the war, has not committed itself to sending troops to Iraq. As is the case with another key European ally, Italy. Far east powerhouse, Japan, has merely said it will support reconstruction activity, if needed.



Close US partners who might be expected to be automatic backers of the war such as Canada, Belgium, Norway, and Latin American countries such as Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Argentina have kept clear blue water between themselves and Washington.



One key reason for the lack of real support is the incredible level of public opposition to the invasion of Iraq. Take the public opposition in the "coalition of the willing" countries. In Spain, 80 percent are opposed to war, and 91 percent are opposed to it without a United Nations mandate. In the UK, 86 percent said weapons inspectors should be given more time. In Italy, 72 percent opposed the war. In Australia, 76 percent have opposed participation in the war.



Analysts point out that for the first time massive public disapproval of the war has prevented several countries from openly allying with the US.



Arab governments in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar which have otherwise provided logistical support to the US-led forces have refused to publicly back the war – in deference to the anti-war sentiments of the people in the region.



Finally, even if the support of the 43 “willing” countries were taken at face value they constitute less than one-fourth the number of nations of the world. Which pleads the question, whose war is it?



Factbox

ALBANIA - Offered to send troops in a largely symbolic gesture.

AUSTRALIA - Sent 2,000-strong force of elite SAS troops, fighter jets and warships to the Gulf.

BAHRAIN - Headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet.

BRITAIN - Washington's chief ally on Iraq has sent or committed 45,000 military personnel, planes and warships.

BULGARIA - Offered use of airspace, base and refuelling for US warplanes; sent non-combat troops specialising in chemical and biological warfare decontamination.

CROATIA - Airspace and airports open to civilian transport planes from the coalition.

CYPRUS - Cyprus granted the United States access to its airspace hours after the United States launched military action against Iraq.

CZECH REPUBLIC - Sent non-combat troops specialising in chemical warfare decontamination in response to US request.

DENMARK - The government decided to take part in the military action with a submarine, a corvette and a medical team.

ETHIOPIA - Ethiopia said it had opened its airspace to US military overflights and granted landing rights to planes taking part in the war against Iraq in response to a US request.

GERMANY - Despite opposition to a war on Iraq, Germany has chemical warfare decontamination specialists in Kuwait. They will be increased to between 200 and 250 troops.

HUNGARY - Hosts a US base where Iraqi exiles are trained for possible post-war administrative roles.

ITALY - Offered logistical help and use of military bases and ports under longstanding NATO commitments.

JORDAN - Opened its airspace to coalition planes; hosts US troops carrying out search and rescue operations in western Iraq and manning a Patriot anti-missile defence system.

KUWAIT - Main jumping-off point for coalition forces entering Iraq.

OMAN - Base for US planes used in Afghanistan, but says will play no role in war against Iraq.

POLAND - To deploy up to 200 troops in the Gulf region, which will perform a non-combat role supporting US-led offensive.

PORTUGAL - Made available NATO air bases and an air base in the mid-Atlantic Azores islands.

QATAR - Hosts a mobile HQ for US Central Command; allowed Washington to expand an airfield to handle more combat jets.

ROMANIA - Airspace and a base open to US warplanes; sent non-combat specialists in chemical decontamination, medics, engineers and military police in response to a US request.

SAUDI ARABIA - US and British planes use its Prince Sultan Air Base to enforce a "no-fly zone" over southern Iraq.

SLOVAKIA - Sent non-combat troops specialising in chemical warfare decontamination in response to a US request.

SPAIN - Strongest ally of the United States and Britain. Promised use of its NATO bases for strike on Iraq. Spain will send a medical support vessel equipped with nuclear, biological and chemical treatment facilities. A back-up frigate and 900 troops also pledged.

TURKEY - Turkey's parliament approved a motion allowing overflights for US warplanes that could help the United States shorten its war against Iraq. The motion also cleared the way for thousands of Turkish troops to be deployed across the border in northern Iraq.

UAE - Base for US surveillance aircraft and refuelling; host to an estimated 3,000 Western troops.

UKRAINE - Agreed to US request that it send chemical warfare and nuclear decontamination experts.

Al Jazeera