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THE Federal Government today confirmed it would be boosting Australia's troop commitment to Afghanistan. Acting Prime Minister Mark Vaile said Defence Minister Robert Hill would make an announcement about sending two Chinook helicopters and 110 special forces soldiers this morning. "Senator Hill will announce this morning that we're sending two Chinook helicopters and about 110 personnel to Afghanistan, they'll be deployed as part of Australia's continuing commitment to the fight against terrorism," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting. Mr Vaile said the latest deployment would add to the 190 special forces troops already in Afghanistan. In September last year, elite special...

KUT, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2005 – Multinational Division Central South bid farewell to troops from Ukraine, one of the unit's mainstay nationalities, during a ceremony today at Camp Delta here. Polish Army Maj. Gen. Piotr Czerwinski said the Ukrainian contingent has done excellent work in the area and helped provide stability to the region and training to Iraqi troops, who now pick up the mission. Ukraine will not end its affiliation with the coalition, Multinational Force Iraq officials said, but large troop deployments will end. Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Anatoliy Pushniakov, a staff officer with the division, said more than 5,000...

BUCHAREST – Staunch U.S. ally Romania remains committed to keeping its troops in Iraq as long as they are needed by the Iraqi government, President Traian Basescu said on Thursday. Grateful to Washington for its support of Bucharest's bid to join NATO, Romania was a loyal ally in the war that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, contributing about 800 troops to U.S.-led forces. "We remain committed to helping Iraq's stabilization," Basescu told a group of foreign reporters. Washington has avoided suggesting a timetable for the withdrawal of troops, whose mandate expires at the end of 2006. But the U.S. top...

PARIS, France (AP) -- The president of the only Latin American country with troops in Iraq said Friday he will not pull them out until democracy is in place there. "Why should we leave Iraq now when the basic conditions have not been met?" El Salvador's president, Tony Saca, said in an interview with The Associated Press in Paris, where he met with President Jacques Chirac at the end of a three-nation European tour. Saca said a president, a constitution and a public police force need to be in place in Iraq before his troops will leave.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- The Hungarian parliament on Monday rejected a government proposal to extend the stay of 300 non-combat troops in Iraq by three months until March 31, 2005. The Socialist-led government's plan to extend the mission of the transport contingent serving since mid-2003 in Hillah, south of Baghdad, failed after deputies of the center-right opposition refused to back it. The proposal to keep troops in Iraq beyond the end of this year needed to be approved by two-thirds of the 386 deputies, but only 191 voted in favor and 159 against. Thirty-six deputies were either absent or did...

Coalition Troops in and Withdrawn in Iraq Fri Aug 13, 3:06 PM ET By The Associated Press Estimated forces in Iraq (news - web sites) from countries that are part of the U.S.-led coalition, as of early August, and estimated major pullouts in 2004: Countries with troops in Iraq: United States: 138,000 United Kingdom: 9,000 Italy: 3,000 Poland: 2,400 Ukraine: 1,576 Netherlands: 1,400 Romania: 700 South Korea (news - web sites): 660; additional 3,000 troops being sent to northern Iraq Denmark: 500 Japan: 500 Bulgaria: 480 El Salvador (news - web sites): 380 Australia: 300 Hungary: 300 Mongolia: 173 Azerbaijan:...

Army Home Page / Press Centre / Press Releases  Serial number 1131  Released on Thursday 22nd January 2004 WELSH ROYAL ENGINEER VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS RETURN FROM THE GULFFACILTY NOTE WELSH ROYAL ENGINEER VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS RETURN FROM THE GULF Volunteer soldiers serving with the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) are scheduled to return home to Wales this weekend. Some 124 soldiers from across the regiment were mobilised in May 2003 in support of OPERATION TELIC duty in Iraq. The volunteers deployed as a composite sub unit under the title of 100 Field Squadron Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia), which is the title of the squadron based...

See these , U.S.A. does not face terrorists alone

US allies Italy, Spain, Portugal and Poland vowed to keep their 6,000 troops in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition despite the deaths of 23 people in a deadly attack on Italian forces. "Our determination is the same as those Italians in uniform who are honouring the coalition engaged in supporting Iraq on its road to democracy," Italian Prime Minister Silvio said. "No intimidation will change our desire to help this country to rebuild and form a government, in security and freedom." Condolences poured in for the Italian people, with the White House thanking Rome for its help in...

PRESIDENT BUSH scored a significant diplomatic victory last week when the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution condoning the nation-building and security activities of the American-led "multinational force" in Iraq. But Bush's critics can't admit it. After months of whining that the United States did not have "international support" for its presence in Iraq, critics moved the goal posts last week after the U.N. resolution passed. Now, they say, the real test of international support is the dedication of foreign troops to Iraq. They probably didn't read that the resolution "URGES member states to contribute assistance under this...