Posted on 03/18/2003 9:35:47 AM PST by nypokerface
WASHINGTON - Thirty nations have joined with the United States in a "coalition of the willing" to bring down Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and another 15 quietly have promised their support, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday.
Powell told reporters he had received assurances of open support in telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin had reaffirmed his opposition to war with Iraq in a telephone conversation with President Bush.
At the same time, Powell said Saddam Hussein so far had rejected Bush's demand that he leave Iraq, but that a number of countries were still trying to persuade the Iraqi president to go into exile.
"He has essentially dismissed the message," Powell said.
Asked when the United States may go to war against Iraq, the former Army general said he had "learned long ago not to make predictions."
The State Department released a list of the 30 countries, one of which, Japan, was identified as only a post-conflict member of the coalition.
Turkey was included, and Powell said even as the Turkish parliament debates a U.S. proposal to use Turkish territory for an invasion of northern Iraq he was confident of Turkish cooperation in one form or another.
Powell also hinted that if the parliament accepts the U.S. proposal the Bush administration might revive its offer of $6 billion in special economic assistance.
Powell said war plans have been drawn up designed to minimize Iraqi civilian casualties and to warn Iraqi commanders about their actions. He said the U.S. aim was "to make it as quick as possible."
Powell also said he would not attend a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday at which the chief U.N. weapons inspector, Hans Blix, is due to make a report.
France and Russia, which opposed war and sought to extend inspections, have indicated they would be represented by their foreign ministers.
But Powell said he saw no point in going, and that U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte would represent the United States.
A little bit more muscle in Desert Storm. Makes you wonder why a new cast of characters is needed for this one.
You have 35 countries that have the guts to do the right thing. I take those 35 over Irrevefrance any day.
...In July 1999, the Polish government approved a set of regulations that will reorganize its top military leadership along the lines of the U.S. Joint Staff. Current plans call for drastically cutting the number of officers, particularly those in the higher ranks, while doubling the number of sergeants by 2003. Altogether, the military is projected to shrink from 200,400 in 2000 to 180,000 in 2003. Poland has pledged four brigades for NATO's high-readiness reaction forces and two divisions for the main defense forces.
Hmmmmmmm! 300/180,000 = .0016 or less than 1/5 of a percent.
35? The list includes 30 countries not counting the U.S. Are there others jumping on the bandwagon as we speak?
America leads. Others in this "pathetic" Coalition of the Willing follow - willingly. There is no need to remove America, because America simply is.
On the other hand, we have the pretenders from the continent and their coalition, which apparently is not all that "pathetic".
Of salient interest in this discussion of "pathetic" coalitions is the fact that in about 2 or 3 weeks, the world (and you!) is going to get a very vivid demonstration of what constitutes a "pathetic" coalition, and concurrently learn just which of these 2 coalitions proves to be the most "pathetic".
Actually, the only thing "pathetic" about this thread is your inane observation that the US is leading "one of the most pathetic coalitions" in history.
Where'd you get your history degree - the Sorbonne?
CA...
Some that were left out.
Portugal which cosponsored the resolution. America duh. Kuwait which is the staging grounds, Qatar which is where our operations headquarters, is. Saudi Arabia which is letting us use military bases on their land.
So there are at least 35 countries willing to do the right thing, that are part of the coalition that haven't been influenced by Irrelefrance's yellow cowardice.
It was Jeremy Greenstock, the British UN ambassador who said that.
Becki
Thanks
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