So Nicholas, when did you first realize this?
Quote of note:
What I am trying to demean is the idea that we have a powerful coalition behind us: of the 28 allied countries that still have troops in Iraq at this moment, only eight have more than 500. Most are there as window dressing. And because of language and equipment difficulties, some contingents - like Macedonia's 28 or Kazakhstan's 29 - may be more trouble than they are worth.
Brother, Can You Spare a Brigade?
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
VILNIUS, Lithuania
My (unsanctioned) mission on behalf of President Bush to drum up more coalition troops for Iraq is finally paying off.
I'm now at the end of my four-nation tour of the "coalition of the willing" (I'm skipping such other important members as Tonga, with 45 troops in Iraq, and Moldova, with 12). Since the White House has emphasized how firmly our partners are standing behind us, I interviewed the leaders of the Baltic nations and tried to get each of them to commit to sending 1,000 or more troops.
No luck.
Then I tried street mobilization: I talked to dozens of young people in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, flattering them by telling them how good they would look in a uniform and asking whether they would mind fighting for us in Iraq. Mostly, I got strange looks.
(One woman in Latvia wouldn't let her boyfriend go to Iraq, but said she could spare her dad.)
