U.S. war allies face opposition

Some of America’s allies in its war on Iraq vow to stay in the country, but they are facing mounting criticism at home.

All 31 countries remaining in Iraq have signed a declaration this week condemning recent kidnappings and beheadings of foreign workers and promised not to make any concessions to the kidnappers.

However, the tough talk by militaries and governments hasn’t calmed the fears of their people.

Nearly three in four Poles say they oppose keeping militaries in Iraq, a poll released Thursday found. The eroding support in Poland a key U.S.-led war ally with 2,400 troops in Iraq points up how anti-war sentiment is rising in nations the United States counts among its most resolute partners.

"I don’t agree with the troops being there. They are in danger every day, and for what?" asked Marian Ciobanu, 28, a security guard in Romania, which has a 700-member contingent serving with the coalition.

Underscoring that danger, about 60 Romanian troops came under fire early Friday from anti-occupation fighters armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades as they patrolled a road in southern Iraq, Romania’s Defense Ministry said. No injuries were reported.

Seventy-three percent of Poles reject the presence of their troops 7 percentage points more than in June according to the survey by the CBOS state polling agency. Another 83 percent said they fear Poland, which also commands 3,800 troops from 16 nations in Iraq, could face retaliation attacks.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they want a troop to withdraw as soon as possible, compared to 60 percent in June, while 29 percent want to see Poland carry on with the mission 5 percent less than in June. The survey of 920 adults had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Poland’s leaders plan to keep troops in Iraq till peace is restored to the country, but have said they intend to pare down the number of soldiers to between 1,000 and 1,500 in January.
The Poles aren’t the only squeamish ones.

The Czech Republic, which has about 90 troops in Iraq, this week signed the coalition declaration denouncing the attacks on foreign civilians. The declaration "demonstrates the solidarity of all countries which contribute to the multinational force," the Foreign Ministry said.

Many ordinary Czechs have grave misgivings about their country’s involvement.

"There’s no place for Czech soldiers in Iraq. They should leave the country," said Katerina Hejdukova, 34, an unemployed young mother in Prague.

On the other hand Bulgaria plans to keep its 480 troops in Iraq despite recent kidnappings and beheadings of two of its civilians there in July. Its insistence on sticking with the occupation forces has stirred rising public unease.

Four in five Bulgarians think their country’s involvement could provoke a retaliatory attacks against Bulgaria, a recent survey suggested.

"The dramatic events in July did not cause mass hysteria or panic, but convinced the people that the terror threat is real," the National Institute for Public Opinion said this week.

Also Romania has pledged to keep its contingent in Iraq at least till the end of the year.

But not everyone is comfortable with the government’s persistent to stay involved.

"I feel pity for the ones that left for Iraq, because you never know if they’ll return," an old Romanian retiree who gave her name only as Victoria said Friday.

"If I had a son, I would have fought for him not to go there," she said, weeping. "I’ve been through a war before."
Lately Saudi Arabia has proposed that Muslim countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Morocco and Yemen send a force that would replace U.S.-led occupation presence and operate under the umbrella of the United Nations.

So far, though, there have been no takers, and Algeria has ruled out sending any troops.

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