The United States is planning increasingly to shift the duties of foreign troops in Iraq from providing security to training Iraq's new army and police to prevent more countries from abandoning the international coalition there and possibly lure others back.
The coalition has included about three dozen nations, which contributed 20,000 to 25,000 soldiers, or about 11 percent, of the foreign troops performing security operations in Iraq, adding to a U.S. contingent of 155,000. But the deployments have been highly unpopular in several countries and a political liability for participating governments, especially with troops forced to stay longer than envisioned to defeat the insurgency.
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Portugal quietly pulled out its 150 soldiers this month. Next month, the Netherlands will begin withdrawing its 1,700 troops, one of the largest contingents. And Ukraine's new government has signaled plans for a phased pullout of its 1,600 soldiers.
However, Iraq's elections last month and President Bush's goodwill mission to Europe this week appear to be breathing new life into the U.S.-led occupation, officials from European and coalition countries said. The plan to beef up training has sparked new commitments of instructors, funds and equipment, in addition to troops committed to other functions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51634-2005Feb24.html
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