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04/20/2004:

"Coalition of the 'Willing' turning into Duet of the Stubborn"

US tries to repair Iraq coalition cracks
US officials said they were bracing for a possible Thai withdrawal after Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said it would withdraw its 400 troops if the situation becomes too dangerous. Full Article

Dominican Republic May Pull Out of Iraq
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - The Dominican Republic will pull its troops out of Iraq early, in the next few weeks, following the lead of Spain and Honduras, Gen. Jose Miguel Soto Jimenez said Tuesday. Full Article

Poland planning pull-out of troops from Iraq
Poland is planning to withdraw its troops from Iraq in the coming months, dealing another blow to the US-led coalition forces there.

The revelation yesterday by a senior government adviser that Poland's 2,500 soldiers would leave Iraq comes just a day after the new Spanish Prime Minister, Mr José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, announced the pull-out of Spanish troops "as soon as possible".

President Bush reacted to the Spanish decision by accusing Mr Zapatero yesterday of giving "false comfort to terrorists \ enemies of freedom in Iraq". Full Article

Honduras to Pull Troops Soon from Iraq
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (Reuters) - In a blow to President Bush and his coalition partners in Iraq, Honduras on Monday followed Spain in announcing it will pull its troops out of the country.

"I have told the coalition countries that the troops are going to return from Iraq," President Ricardo Maduro said in a speech on national television and radio.

"I have ordered... the carrying out of the decision taken in the shortest possible time and under safe conditions for our troops." Full Article

New Spanish Prime Minister Orders Troops
Withdrawn From Iraq As Soon As Possible
MADRID, Spain -- Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Sunday he had ordered Spanish troops pulled out of the U.S.-led occupation force in Iraq as soon as possible, fulfilling a campaign pledge and acting to salve his uneasy nation.

Zapatero, who swept to victory in elections three days after 191 people were killed in terrorist commuter-train bombings in Madrid last month, said he acted after deciding the United Nations was unprepared to take over the occupation of Iraq _ his condition for keeping Spanish troops in the country. Full Article

Dynamic Duo miss the point
They have the same stance, the same height, the same arrogant demeanor, the same self-righteousness and approach crisis management in the same way: first create the crisis, then manage the consequences.

Bush and Blair, the dynamic duo, wholly and utterly missed the point in their joint press conference in Washington today, when they claimed that they will stand firm to stabilize Iraq. Full Article