Foreign troops in Iraq

23 October 2003
AFP on 23 October published a list of countries that have sent foreign forces to contribute to US-led peacekeeping operations in Iraq. They are:

Albania: 71 non-combat troops to help with peacekeeping, based in northern Iraq.

Azerbaijan: 150-strong unit to take part in patrols, law enforcement and protection of religious and historic monuments in Iraq.

Bulgaria: 485-member infantry battalion patrolling Karbala, south of Baghdad. An additional 289 will be sent.

Central America and the Caribbean: Dominican Republic (300 troops), El Salvador (360), Honduras (360) and Nicaragua (120) are assisting a Spanish-led brigade in south-central Iraq.

Czech Republic: 271 military personnel and three civilians running a field hospital in Basra; 25 military police in Iraq.

Denmark : 406 troops, consisting of light infantry units, medics and military police. An additional 90 soldiers are being sent.

Georgia: 69, including 34 special troops, 15 sappers and 20 medics.

Estonia: 55 soldiers, including mine divers and cargo handlers.

Hungary: 300-member transportation contingent in Iraq.

Italy: 3,000 troops in southern Iraq.

Moldova: Dozens of de-mining specialists and medics.

Netherlands: 1,106, including a core of 650 marines, three Chinook transport helicopters, a logistics team, a field hospital, a commando contingent, military police and a unit of 230 military engineers.

New Zealand: 61 army engineers assigned for reconstruction work in southern Iraq.

Norway: 156-member force, including engineers and mine clearers.

Philippines: 177 soldiers, police and medics.

Poland: 2,400 troops command one of three military sectors in Iraq.

Portugal: 120 police officers.

Romania: 800 military personnel, including 405 infantry, 149 de-mining specialists and 100 military police, along with a 56-member special intelligence detachment.

Slovakia: 82 military engineers.

South Korea: 675 non-combat troops, with more forces on the way.

Spain: 1,300 troops, mostly assigned to police duties in south-central Iraq.

Thailand: 400 troops assigned to humanitarian operations.

Ukraine - 1,640 soldiers from a mechanised unit.

United Kingdom: 7,400; 1,200 more planned.

Other countries making troop contributions are Kazakhstan (27), Latvia (106), Lithuania (90) Macedonia (28). Details on these deployments were not available.

The United States is in discussions with 14 other countries about providing troops.

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