Iraq War Coalition Crumbles: Coalition pull-out from Iraq gathers pace

Even as US forces struggle to stabilise Iraq during the tense election period, they may soon face another challenge following Sunday's vote: the determination of several coalition members to withdraw thousands of troops from the region.

Several allied countries, many of them eastern European, that were part of the original "New Europe" group backing the Iraqi war have said they will either completely withdraw or substantially reduce their forces in Iraq after the January 30 elections.

The largest reduction is expected to come from Ukraine, which currently has some 1,600 troops in Iraq, making it the sixth-largest contingent. Earlier this month, outgoing President Leonid Kuchma ordered the defence ministry to draw up plans to begin a complete withdrawal by the middle of the year, after eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed in an explosion.

The move has been backed by incoming President Viktor Yushchenko, who campaigned on a promise to bring the troops home. "The withdrawal of the Ukrainian peacekeeping force is one of our priorities," said a statement by Mr Yushchenko's political organisation. He was planning to address it soon after taking office last weekend.

The move follows a decision by Poland, one of the US's closest allies in the Iraq war and with the fifth-largest contingent of 2,400 troops, to reduce its presence by nearly a third, to 1,700, by the end of next month. The Polish government has faced intense political pressure domestically, where its participation is increasingly unpopular, and the reduction may be followed by a complete withdrawal by the end of the year.

Polish military officers, who command the multinational division in south-central Iraq, have said their reduced numbers combined with a Ukrainian withdrawal could force them to cut the number of provinces they patrol - a decision that may force the US to fill the gaps.

Another eastern European ally, Hungary, had intended to leave its 300 troops through the elections, but the plan was voted down by parliament, and all Hungarian forces - save for some logistical personnel responsible for bringing back military equipment - arrived home last month.

Not all of the countries pulling out forces are from eastern Europe, however. Earlier this month Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch prime minister, said the Netherlands would move forward with its plan to withdraw its 1,400 troops by the end of March despite intense US and British pressure.

"I understand the feelings of the Americans and British, but even they can't avoid the conclusion that the Netherlands has delivered a considerable contribution in that area of Iraq," he told reporters.

In addition, Portugal said earlier this month that it would end its 120-strong police mission in Iraq on February 12. Those moves follow Spain's withdrawal last year and the refusal of several western European Nato members - including France, Germany, Belgium, and Spain - to participate in the alliance's new training mission in Baghdad, a stance that has infuriated American officials.

"When it comes time to perform a mission, it seems to us to be quite awkward for suddenly members in that international staff to say, 'I'm unable to go because of this national caveat or national exception'," Colin Powell, outgoing secretary of state, said last month. "You are hurting the credibility and the cohesion of such an international staff or organisation."

Despite the growing number of withdrawals, there will still be 24 countries other than the US and Britain with troops after the announced departures. Italy, with the largest European contingent, has vowed to keep its 3,100 troops in the region, and South Korea actually increased its presence in the north of Iraq to 3,600 late last year, making it the largest force other than the US and UK.

In addition, some of the European Nato members pulling troops out of Iraq - including Poland, the Netherlands and Hungary - have agreed to send forces back as part of a security force attached to the Nato training mission.

US officials have vowed to continue to push for more foreign troops, insisting that requests for help are made frequently by President George W. Bush during bilateral meetings with world leaders. Some senior US officials hope that the United Nations-backed election will be a spur to encourage new deployments.

"After this election is over, we have a chance now to, as an international community, support a new, elected Iraqi government," Condoleezza Rice, incoming secretary of state, said during her recent confirmation hearings. "And it may be a time that we can enhance the contributions of some members of the international community."

It is an effort that may have already paid off, albeit in a small way: last month, Armenia voted to send 46 soldiers to southern Iraq.

The troops arrived in the southern Iraqi town of Hilla on Friday.