Number of nations providing soldiers to Iraq declining

The number of countries providing soldiers to serve in Iraq as part of the American-led coalition is declining, and some key US allies have announced plans to keep forces there only at reduced levels.

These developments come as the US plans to roll back the size of its own 155,000-member force that was in place for December 15 Iraqi parliamentary election and considers deeper troop cuts later in 2006. Meanwhile, the number of US-trained Iraqi security personnel has been steadily growing and stands at 223,000, according to Pentagon figures.

There are 20,000 non-US foreign soldiers in the coalition from two dozen countries, with the largest contingent - the roughly 8,500 British - providing security in southern Iraq.

The number of countries providing soldiers peaked at 38 earlier in the war, which the US launched with an invasion in March 2003 to topple President Saddam Hussein's government.

The number of non-US foreign soldiers has fallen by several thousand in the past year.

Following the US and Britain, the next largest current troop contributors are: South Korea with 3,200; Italy with 2,900; and Poland with 1,500.

In recent days, South Korea and Poland have announced plans to scale back their presence, while Ukraine and Bulgaria withdrew the last of their soldiers.

"Obviously every time you get a weakening of the coalition, it highlights the lack of international support for the US mission," said defence analyst Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"And internally, it again raises the problem that rather than seeing an international force, Iraqis always see US soldiers. And that raises all kinds of questions about whether the US will leave," Mr Cordesman said.

The foreign soldiers and Iraqi government forces are battling a tenacious insurgency. About 2,180 US soldiers have been killed in the war, along with about 200 soldiers from other foreign countries.

Some nations have deployed combat soldiers, while others assume non-combat support roles.

The Pentagon argues the reduction in soldiers from coalition partners reflects progress in Iraq and the continuing development of Iraqi forces eventually expected to provide security for the country on their own.