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Norway is the next coalition country to leave Iraq before June 30. According to Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, his country sees as priority the peacekeeping mission of its troops in Afghanistan. Since Spain announced that it would pull out its 1,400 troops, Honduras, with 368, and the Dominican Republic, with 302, have also decided to withdraw their soldiers. Meanwhile, Thailand's prime minister said his country would withdraw its non-combat troops from Iraq if they were attacked. US Secretary of State Colin Powell has made phone calls this week to try to hold the rest of the 20-some coalition intact.

Norwegian troops will probably leave Iraq Norway will probably withdraw its troops from Iraq within the next few months. Foreign Minister Jan Petersen said this following meetings at the UN in New York on Tuesday. Petersen said Norway in future would give priority to other nations rather than Iraq. We are in Iraq to help stabilize the Iraqi society, to help the country back to a civilian government and to assist in rebuilding, Petersen said to TV 2. Norway has around 150 soldiers in Iraq, and according to the Norwegian Foreign Minister, it is not expected that Norway will...

Foreign Minister Jan Petersen is more positive to extending Norway's military commitment to the rebuilding of Iraq after a surprise secret visit to troops in the field. After a day seeing things first-hand in Basra, Petersen was convinced that the soldiers are doing an important, humanitarian job in Iraq. Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, (center, with helmet) being shown round operations in Basra by Major John Otto Pettersen (right). Wearing a helmet and bullet-proof vest, Petersen was flown in a military helicopter from Kuwait to Basra, where Norway's 150-man force is operating under British command. The trip made an impression on...