March 18, 2003

Powell: 30 Nations in Anti-Iraq Coalition

Thirty nations have joined with the United States in a "coalition of the willing" to bring down Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and another 15 quietly have promised their support, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday.

Powell told reporters he had received assurances of open support in telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin had reaffirmed his opposition to war with Iraq in a telephone conversation with President Bush.

At the same time, Powell said Saddam Hussein so far had rejected Bush's demand that he leave Iraq, but that a number of countries were still trying to persuade the Iraqi president to go into exile.

Add Koziumi's support from Japan to the Coalition, too:

Koizumi backs Bush's demand for Hussein to flee

Japan threw its full support behind U.S. President George W. Bush's demand for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave his country or face war, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday.

It's nice to see this new 21st Century global "Band of Brothers" forming up to take down the enemy!