THE BARELY WILLING

The Coalition of the Willing sometimes wasn't, according to Bremer.

(From My Year in Iraq, page 319)

1241: Just got word that our CPA compound in Najaf is being attacked by sev­eral hundred Muqtada guys. Kosnett is calling for gunships and reinforce­ments. He says that the Salvadorans' Special Forces are fighting and the Spanish are refusing to fight.

[snip]

1510: ... I got Weber back down. He says the Spanish are still "sitting on their asses." They are taking the position that unless they are specifically fired upon themselves, they will not engage, this despite the fact that Americans and Iraqis are dying under their very eyes. They are sitting in tanks around the compound and doing nothing. It is a per­fect outrage—I call it the "Coalition of the not-at-all-willing."

(From My Year in Iraq, page 327)

The Marines had lost eleven men in coordinated professional attacks at the provincial capital of Ramadi. Clearly, the assaults were meant to relieve pressure at nearby Fallujah. ... Ukrainian Coalition forces had withdrawn from the city, leaving our CPA compound at the mercy of Muqtada's fighters. After frantic prodding all night by my British colleague David Richmond, the Ukrainians had finally agreed to go into the compound at 6:00 A.M. to rescue our people and guard the buildings.

[snip]

the Ukrainian commander said he planned to abandon the compound after extracting our people. I called Sanchez at 6:30 A.M. to say that this would be a terrible mistake. It was too late because at 7:15 we learned that the Ukrainians had gone in, recovered our staff, and abandoned the compound, which was immediately seized by Muqtada's men.