Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Coalition Support and
International Donor Commitments (09-MAY-07, GAO-07-827T).
In March 2003, a U.S.-led multinational force began operations in
Iraq. At that time, 48 nations, identified as a "coalition of the
willing," offered political, military, and financial support for
U.S. efforts in Iraq, with 38 nations other than the United
States providing troops. In addition, international donors met in
Madrid in October 2003 to pledge funding for the reconstruction
of Iraq's infrastructure, which had deteriorated after multiple
wars and decades of neglect under the previous regime. This
testimony discusses (1) the troop commitments other countries
have made to operations in Iraq, (2) the funding the United
States has provided to support other countries' participation in
the multinational force, and (3) the financial support
international donors have provided to Iraq reconstruction
efforts. This testimony is based on GAO's prior work and data
collected for this hearing. Although we reviewed both classified
and unclassified documents, the information in this statement is
based only on unclassified documents. We completed this work in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
-------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
REPORTNUM: GAO-07-827T
ACCNO: A69366
TITLE: Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: Coalition Support and
International Donor Commitments
DATE: 05/09/2007
SUBJECT: Armed forces abroad
Federal aid to foreign countries
Foreign aid programs
Foreign governments
Foreign loans
Grants
International cooperation
International organizations
International relations
Iraq War and reconstruction
Military forces
Military training
Peacekeeping forces
International Monetary Fund
Iraq
Iraqi Security Forces
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GAO-07-827T
* [1]Summary
* [2]Background
* [3]Troop Contributions from Coalition Members Have Declined and
* [4]The United States Has Provided about $1.5 Billion to Suppor
* [5]International Donors Have Pledged Billions of Dollars for Re
* [6]Most Pledges Were in the Form of Loans
* [7]Most Grants Have Been Provided
* [8]GAO Contacts and Acknowledgments
* [9]GAO's Mission
* [10]Obtaining Copies of GAO Reports and Testimony
* [11]Order by Mail or Phone
* [12]To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs
* [13]Congressional Relations
* [14]Public Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations,
Human Rights, and Oversight, U.S. House of Representatives
United States Government Accountability Office
GAO
For Release on Delivery
Expected at 2:00 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
STABILIZING AND REBUILDING IRAQ
Coalition Support and International Donor Commitments
Statement of Joseph A. Christoff, Director
International Affairs and Trade
GAO-07-827T
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss U.S. support for non-U.S.
coalition troops1 in Iraq and international donor support for
reconstruction in Iraq. In March 2003, a U.S.-led multinational force
began operations in Iraq. At that time, 48 nations (in addition to the
United States), identified as a "coalition of the willing," offered
political, military, and financial support for U.S. efforts in Iraq. In
addition, international donors met in Madrid in October 2003 to pledge
funding for the reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructure, which had
deteriorated after multiple wars and decades of neglect under the previous
regime.
My testimony today discusses (1) the troop commitments other countries
have made to the multinational force in Iraq, (2) the funding the United
States has provided to support other countries' participation in the
multinational force, and (3) the financial support international donors
have provided to Iraq reconstruction efforts. This testimony is based on
prior GAO reports and on data collected for this hearing. Although we
reviewed both classified and unclassified documents, the information in
this statement is based only on unclassified U.S. government documents.
This limits the detail we can provide on coalition troop strength in Iraq
since DOD classifies the specific troop levels for each coalition country
that contributes to operations in Iraq. Accordingly, this statement only
provides aggregate data on total coalition troop levels in Iraq.
We obtained financial data on the funding the United States has provided
to non-U.S. coalition troops operating in Iraq from the Departments of
Defense (DOD) and State. For troop levels from coalition countries, DOD
and State provided data for December 2003 to April 2007.2 However, the
departments did not have information on coalition troops in Iraq from
March to November 2003. We determined that the data we did receive were
sufficiently reliable for estimating the U.S. contribution in support of
coalition troops and the number of troops contributed by other countries.
We obtained data on international contributions to Iraq reconstruction
from the Department of State, the United Nations, and the World Bank. We
determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for these purposes. We
conducted our work in accordance with generally accepted government
auditing standards.
1For purposes of this report, non-U.S. coalition troops do not include
Iraqi security forces.
2We obtained troop data for May 2007 from a publicly available document.
Summary
As of May 2007, 25 countries were contributing 12,600 troops to
multinational forces in Iraq. Compared with the 145,000 forces from the
United States, other coalition countries represent about 8 percent of
multinational forces in Iraq.3 From December 2003 through May 2007, the
number of non-U.S. coalition troops decreased from 24,000 to 12,600, and
the number of coalition nations contributing troops to military operations
decreased from 33 to 25.4 Although the numbers of these troops are
declining, three countries--United Kingdom, Poland, and Republic of
Korea--are responsible for leading operations in three of seven security
sectors in Iraq. In addition, coalition troops have performed
humanitarian, medical, and reconstruction missions. Some troops have
provided combat capabilities, such as infantry and explosive ordnance
capabilities.
The United States has spent about $1.5 billion to transport, sustain, and
provide other services for military troops from 20 countries other than
the United States and Iraq. The United States used about $1 billion of the
$1.5 billion to feed, house, and equip these troops. In terms of
allocation by country, about $988 million, or 66 percent, was used to
support Poland as the commander of Multinational Division (MND)-Central
South. However, the support provided Poland was not solely for its own
troops, but for those from other countries under its command. In addition,
$300 million, or about 20 percent, supported Jordan for border operations
and other activities. In addition to support for operations in Iraq, the
United States has provided about $1.9 billion since 2003 for military
training and equipment to 10 coalition members and Jordan. State
Department security assistance programs provided this additional
assistance.
As of April 2007, international donors have pledged about $14.9 billion in
support of Iraq reconstruction. In addition, some countries exceeded their
original pledges by about an additional $744 million for a total of $15.6
billion, according to State Department. About $11 billion, or 70 percent,
of these pledges are loans, with the remaining $4.6 billion in the form of
grants. As of April 2007, Iraq had accessed about $436 million in
available loans and $3 billion in grants.
3In addition to U.S. and other coalition troops, the number of Iraqi
military and police forces trained and equipped by coalition members
totaled about 331,000 as of May 2007. However, GAO has raised concerns
about these numbers. See Stabilizing Iraq: Factors Impeding the
Development of Capable Iraqi Security Forces, [15]GAO-07-612T (Washington,
D.C.: Mar. 13, 2007).
4In addition to multinational force contributions, seven countries
contribute troops to the NATO Training Mission in Iraq, which supports
training of Iraqi security forces. As of May 2007, these countries were
Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Turkey.
Background
In March 2003, the United States--along with the United Kingdom,
Australia, and other members of the coalition--began combat operations in
Iraq. The original "coalition of the willing" consisted of 49 countries
(including the United States) that publicly committed to the war effort
and also provided a variety of support, such as direct military
participation, logistical and intelligence support, over-flight rights, or
humanitarian and reconstruction aid.5 The term "coalition of the willing"
refers to those countries that declared political support for the war
effort; not all of these countries contributed troops to multinational
operations. Between December 2003 and May 2007, 39 countries (including
the United States)--some of which were not original coalition
members--provided troops to support operations in Iraq.
Three sources of funding help support non-U.S. coalition troops in Iraq:
coalition support funds, lift and sustain funds, and peacekeeping
operations funds. First, the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations
Act of 20036 authorized DOD to use up to a certain amount of its
operations and maintenance funds to reimburse countries for the logistical
and military support they provided to U.S. military operations in Iraq.
DOD refers to these funds as coalition support funds. Congress has
continued to make such funds available in each subsequent fiscal year.
Second, DOD's annual Appropriations Act7 in 2005 authorized DOD to use
funds from its operations and maintenance accounts to provide supplies and
services; transportation, including airlift and sealift; and other
logistical support to coalition forces supporting military and stability
operations in Iraq. DOD refers to these funds as lift and sustain funds.
This authority has also been continued in subsequent appropriations acts.
5In March 2003, the White House reported the following countries in the
coalition of the willing: Afghanistan; Albania; Angola; Australia;
Azerbaijan; Bulgaria; Colombia; Costa Rica; Czech Republic; Denmark;
Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Georgia;
Honduras; Hungary; Iceland; Italy; Japan; Kuwait; Latvia; Lithuania;
Macedonia; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Mongolia; Netherlands; Nicaragua;
Palau; Panama; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Rwanda; Singapore;
Slovakia; Solomon Islands; Republic of Korea; Spain; Tonga; Turkey;
Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; United States; and Uzbekistan.
6Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2003, P.L. 108-11.
7Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005, P.L. 108-287.
According to a DOD official, both coalition support funds and lift and
sustain funds are used for any requirements that could be appropriately
paid for from operations and maintenance accounts, including airlift,
sealift, and sustainment services such as feeding and billeting for
coalition troops, among other things. In addition, a DOD official stated
that both of these funds are used to support nations whose economic
conditions prevent them from fully funding their troops' presence in Iraq.
The key distinction between the coalition support and the lift and sustain
funds is that coalition support funds are used to reimburse countries for
costs they incur, and lift and sustain funds are used to reimburse U.S.
military departments for services they provide to support eligible
countries.
Third, the State Department provided peacekeeping operations (PKO) funds
in 2003 and 2004 to provide basic supplies and equipment such as armor and
medical supplies to coalition troops in Iraq. These funds were used to
make initial equipment purchases for countries participating in Polish and
U.S.-led divisions in Iraq.
Many nations and various international organizations are supporting the
efforts to rebuild Iraq through multilateral or bilateral assistance. U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1511 of October 16, 2003, urged member states
and international and regional organizations to support the Iraq
reconstruction effort. On October 23-24, 2003, an international donors
conference was held in Madrid, with 76 countries, 20 international
organizations, and 13 nongovernmental organizations participating.
Troop Contributions from Coalition Members Have Declined and Represent a Small
Percentage of Total Forces
As of May 2007, 25 coalition nations were contributing about 12,600 troops
to multinational force operations in Iraq. This compares to the 145,000
U.S. troops in Iraq, for the same time period. See figure 1 for a
comparison of U.S. and coalition troops from December 2003 through May
2007.
Figure 1: U.S. and Coalition Troops in Iraq
Non-U.S. coalition troops represent about 8 percent of multinational
forces in Iraq as of May 2007. Although the coalition has trained and
equipped about 331,000 Iraqi army and police forces, we do not include
Iraqi security forces (ISF) in our analyses. As we have reported, these
data provide limited information on the forces' capabilities,
effectiveness, and loyalties. For example, DOD reported in March 2007 that
the number of ISF forces present for duty is one-half to two-thirds of the
number trained and equipped.8
In addition, the number of coalition forces has declined by 47.5
percent--from 24,000 in December 2003 to 12,600 in May 2007, as shown in
figure 2.
8See Stabilizing Iraq: Factors Impeding the Development of Capable Iraqi
Security Forces, [16]GAO-07-612T (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 13, 2007).
Figure 2: Non-U.S. Military Forces in Iraq
Although the number of troops is declining, three countries--the United
Kingdom, Poland, and the Republic of Korea--have led operations in three
of seven security sectors in Iraq (see figure 3).
Figure 3: Organization of Multinational Force-Iraq
Since July 2003, the United Kingdom has led operations in one of the seven
sectors--Multinational Division-Southeast--in southern Iraq in the area
around Basra. As of October 2006, coalition troops in this sector were
from Italy, Japan, Australia, Romania, Denmark, Portugal, Czech Republic,
and Lithuania. Since that time, Italy and Portugal have withdrawn troops
from military operations in Iraq.9 The United Kingdom has provided the
largest number of non-U.S. coalition troops, peaking at 46,000 from March
through April 2003, then declining to 7,100 in November 2006. British
forces have conducted combat operations to improve the security
environment and have trained Iraqi security forces, among other things.
They had sustained 147 fatalities as of May 1, 2007. The United Kingdom
announced that it will begin withdrawing troops in 2007 but has pledged to
maintain a presence in Iraq into 2008.
9Italy and Portugal contribute trainers to the NATO training mission in
Iraq.
Poland has led operations in the MND-Central South, which is south of
Baghdad, since September 2003. As of May 2007, non-U.S. coalition troops
in this sector were from Poland, Armenia, Bosnia, Denmark, Kazakhstan,
Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Romania, El Salvador, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Poland's highest troop level was 2500, declining to 900 by October 2006.
Poland's troops have conducted joint combat operations and performed
humanitarian, medical, advisory, and training missions, and have sustained
20 fatalities.
The Republic of Korea has led operations in MND-Northeast from Irbil City
in the area north of Kirkuk since September 2004. Their peak number of
troops was 3,600 troops in that year but declined to 1,600 in March 2007.
Their missions have included medical, humanitarian, and reconstruction
efforts. The Republic of Korea's government is to draw up a timetable in
2007 for withdrawing its troops from Iraq.
The number of contributing countries has decreased from 33 in December
2003 to 25 in May 2007.10 Figure 4 shows the countries that have
contributed troops between 2003 and 2007. According to State Department
officials and government press releases, the decline in the number of
troops can be attributed to completion of missions, domestic political
considerations, and the deteriorating security condition in Iraq.
10The 25 contributing countries do not include the seven countries that
provide troops to the NATO Training Mission.
Figure 4: Non-U.S. Coalition Countries Providing Troops to MNF-I, December
2003 Through May 2007
As the figure shows, eight countries withdrew their troops from Iraq
during 2004. For example, in mid-April 2004, the new government of Spain
announced that it would withdraw its 1,300 troops from Iraq. The
government withdrew the troops much earlier than the United States
expected, after violence escalated in the Spanish area of operations in
Iraq. Shortly thereafter, Honduras and the Dominican Republic announced
they would also withdraw their national contingents from the multinational
force, which they did the same year.
The United States Has Provided about $1.5 Billion to Support Coalition Troops in
Iraq
Some countries that have provided troops to the multinational force in
Iraq are not financially able to support those troops in the field for
extended periods of time or may need assistance in preparing their troops
for this type of operation. Since 2003, the United States has provided
about $1.5 billion to 20 countries. Of the $1.5 billion spent to support
these troops, about $725.9 million was reimbursed to countries, and about
$702 million was reimbursed to U.S. military departments that provided
support to non-U.S. coalition troops. See table 1 below for the total
amount of support provided for non-U.S. coalition troops in Iraq.
Table 1: Total Amount Provided for Coalition Nations in Iraq, by Type of
Funding and Fiscal Year (dollars in millions)
FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 Total
Coalition supporta $151.7 $274.3 $245.6 $54.3 $725.9
Lift and sustainb $0.0 $0.0 $483.3c $219.0 $702.3
Peacekeeping operationsd $50.0 $16.0 $0.0 $0.0 $66.0
Total $201.7 $290.3 $728.9 $273.3 $1,494.2
aThese are DOD-managed funds that are reimbursed to countries for support
they provided to operations in Iraq. bThese are DOD-managed funds that are
reimbursed to U.S. military departments for support they provided to
coalition troops in Iraq. cAccording to a DOD official, this number is
relatively larger than the others because it represents costs incurred
between 2004 and 2005, and was largely attributable to costs associated
with preparing an operating base for MND-Central South. dThese are
State-managed funds.
Since 2003, the departments used about $1 billion of the approximately
$1.5 billion (71.5 percent) for sustainment services such as food,
supplies, and base operations services such as communications and
equipment. The departments used the remaining funds to support other
operational requirements:
o About $212 million to support Jordan's border operations;
o About $43 million to support hospital operations; and
o About $125 million to support lift requirements.
Nineteen coalition nations and Jordan received support from these funds.11
As displayed in table 2, Poland received the largest amount of
support--about $988 million, or 66 percent of total funding--for
requirements sustained in its capacity as Commander of the MND-Central
South sector. However, the support provided Poland was not solely for its
own troops but for the coalition troops under its command--Armenia,
Slovakia, Denmark, El Salvador, Ukraine, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia,
Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Table 2: U.S. Support to Non-U.S. Coalition Troops from March 2003 through
March 2007, by Country (dollars in millions)
Country Total Percent
Poland a $988.4 66.2
Jordan $295.0 19.7
Other Nations $123.3 8.3
Georgia $63.1 4.2
Ukraine $12.5 .8
United Kingdom $5.6 .4
Romania $3.0 .2
Bosnia $2.0 .1
Mongolia $1.3 .1
Total $1,494.2 100
Source: GAO analysis of DOD and State data.
Note: Of the U.S. support to other nations ($123 million), $114 million
was reimbursed to U.S. military departments by DOD. The data were not
arrayed by allocations to specific countries.
aThis funding was not solely for Poland but for the troops from nations
operating under its command.
According to a DOD official, as a matter of policy, it confined its
support to those coalition countries that they deemed were less capable of
absorbing the costs associated with participating in operations in Iraq.
However, one exception to this policy was the decision in 2005 to
reimburse the United Kingdom about $5.6 million for improvements it made
to Royal Air Force (RAF) Base Akritori on Cyprus to accommodate U.S.
requirements for lift and refueling needs. Jordan was the next largest
recipient of support, receiving reimbursement or services worth about $300
million for border operations and other activities.
11The countries are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Czech Republic,
El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Macedonia,
Mongolia, Nicaragua, Romania, Slovakia, Thailand, Tonga, and the United
Kingdom.
It is important to note that the United States also has provided security
assistance funds to develop and modernize the militaries of several
countries contributing to operations in Iraq. Security assistance has
included military equipment, services, and training. From fiscal year 2003
through 2006, the United States provided about $525 million in security
assistance to 10 countries contributing troops to Iraq.12 In addition,
since 2003, the United States has provided Jordan about $1.34 billion in
security assistance.
12These countries are Thailand, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Poland,
Romania, Ukraine, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Honduras.
International Donors Have Pledged Billions of Dollars for Reconstruction Efforts
in Iraq
International donors have pledged about $14.9 billion in support of Iraq
reconstruction. In addition, some countries exceeded their pledges by
providing an additional $744 million for a total of $15.6 billion,
according to the State Department. Of this amount, about $11 billion, or
70 percent, is in the form of loans. As of April 2007, Iraq had accessed
about $436 million in loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The remaining $4.6 billion is in the form of grants, to be provided
multilaterally or bilaterally; $3.0 billion has been disbursed to Iraq.
See table 3 for pledges made at Madrid and thereafter for Iraq
reconstruction. In addition, 16 of the 41 countries that pledged funding
for Iraq reconstruction also pledged troops to the multinational force in
Iraq.
Table 3: Donor Pledges for Iraq Reconstruction (dollars in thousands)
Post-Madrid Pledges and
Donations in Excess of
Donor Madrid Pledges Madrid Pledges Total
Australia 45,590 28,680 74,270
Austria 5,480 0 5,480
Belgium 5,890 0 5,890
Bulgaria 640 0 640
Canada 187,470 0 187,470
China 25,000 6,500 31,500
Croatia 0 333 333
Cyprus 120 0 120
Czech Republic 14,660 0 14,660
Denmark 26,950 35,000 61,950
European Commission 235,620 685,685 921,305
Estonia 80 0 80
Finland 5,890 2,944 8,834
Germany 0 4,150 4,150
Greece 3,530 3,618 7,148
Hungary 1,240 430 1,670
Iceland 2,500 500 3,000
India 10,000 0 10,000
Iran 5,000 1,000,000 1,005,000
Ireland 3,530 0 3,530
Italy 235,620 0 235,620
Japan 4,914,000 0 4,914,000
Republic of Korea 200,000 0 200,000
Kuwait 500,000 0 500,000
Lithuania 0 30 30
Luxembourg 2,360 199 2,559
Malta 27 0 27
Netherlands 9,420 3,465 12,885
New Zealand 3,350 2,760 6,110
Norway 12,870 10,840 23,710
Oman 3,000 0 3,000
Pakistan 2,500 0 2,500
Portugal 0 600 600
Qatar 100,000 0 100,000
Saudi Arabia 500,000 0 500,000
Slovenia 420 0 420
Spain 220,000 28,000 248,000
Sweden 33,000 0 33,000
Turkey 50,000 0 50,000
United Arab Emirates 215,000 0 215,000
United Kingdom 452,330 198,000 650,330
Vietnam 0 700 700
Lower end of planned
World Bank lending 3,000,000 0 3,000,000
Lower end of planned
IMF lending 2,550,000 0 2,550,000
Total non-US pledges
and donations 13,583,087 2,012,434 15,595,521
Source: State Department.
Note: Bolded countries also contributed troops to the multinational force.
Most Pledges Were in the Form of Loans
About $11 billion, or 70 percent, of the $14.9 billion pledged in support
of Iraq reconstruction is in the form of loans. Pledging the majority of
these loans were the World Bank ($3 billion), the IMF (up to $2.55
billion), Iran ($1 billion), and Japan ($3.4 billion), according to the
State Department. In September 2004, the IMF provided a $436 million
emergency post-conflict assistance loan to facilitate Iraqi debt relief.13
The World Bank has approved loans for $399 million from its concessional
international development assistance program, which the Iraqis have not
accessed.14 According to the State Department, the Iraqis lack a system
for approving projects supported by donor loans, which has impeded efforts
by the World Bank and Japan to initiate loan-based projects.15 In
addition, Iraq has not yet accessed loans from Iran, according to the
State Department. Further, according to IMF reporting as of February 2007,
Iraq has received about $39 billion in debt reduction from commercial and
bilateral creditors.
Most Grants Have Been Provided
As of April 2007, international donors for Iraq reconstruction had pledged
$3.9 billion in grants to be provided multilaterally and bilaterally. In
addition, some countries exceeded their pledges by providing an additional
$744 million, according to the State department.
13In addition to this loan, Iraq secured a $685 million
Stand-by-Arrangement with the IMF in December 2005; however, the Iraqis
have not drawn upon this support, according to the State department.
14This loan is within a $500 million program for concessional
international development assistance.
15A proposed clause of Iraq's 2007 Budget Law that was intended to clarify
matters for approving projects supported by donor loans was deleted by
Iraq's Council of Representatives before the law was passed in final form,
according to State department.
Of the total grants, donors provided about $1.6 billion multilaterally to
two trust funds, one run by the U.N. Development Group (UNDG) and the
other by the World Bank.16 Donors have provided about $1.1 billion to the
UN trust fund and $455 million to the World Bank trust fund. As of March
2007, the UN has disbursed about $612 million to support, among other
things, Iraq's elections, infrastructure projects, health and nutrition,
agriculture and natural resources, and assistance to refugees. As of March
2007, the World Bank fund had disbursed about $96 million to support,
among other things, capacity building, school rehabilitation and
construction, and health rehabilitation.
Donors provided about $2.3 billion in bilateral grants for Iraq
reconstruction efforts. As of April 2007, these grants have funded more
than 400 projects as reported by Iraq's Ministry of Planning and
Development Cooperation.17 According to State, these projects include
about $1 billion in grant assistance from Japan, $775 million from the
United Kingdom, $153 million from Republic of Korea, $110 million from
Canada, and $100 million from Spain. These funds have been provided as
bilateral grants to Iraqi institutions, implementing contractors, and
nongovernmental organizations for reconstruction projects outside the
projects funded by the UN and World Bank trust funds.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I will be happy to answer any
questions you or the members of the subcommittee may have.
16On March 20, 2007, at the (IRFFI) International Reconstruction Fund
Facility for Iraq Donors Committee meeting in Istanbul, it was decided
that the lifetime of the fund would be extended through December 2010 to
allow adequate time to finance the existing projects through to
completion.
17The Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation tracks donor
assistance in a recently established Donor Assistance Database.
GAO Contacts and Acknowledgments
For questions regarding this testimony, please call Joseph A. Christoff at
(202) 512-8979. Other key contributors to this statement were Muriel
Forster, David Bruno, Monica Brym, Dorian Herring, Lynn Cothern, Judith
McCloskey, and Mary Moutsos.
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Highlights of [24]GAO-07-827T , a testimony before the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human
Rights, and Oversight
May 9, 2007
STABILIZING AND REBUILDING IRAQ
Coalition Support and International Donor Commitments
In March 2003, a U.S.-led multinational force began operations in Iraq. At
that time, 48 nations, identified as a "coalition of the willing," offered
political, military, and financial support for U.S. efforts in Iraq, with
38 nations other than the United States providing troops. In addition,
international donors met in Madrid in October 2003 to pledge funding for
the reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructure, which had deteriorated after
multiple wars and decades of neglect under the previous regime.
This testimony discusses (1) the troop commitments other countries have
made to operations in Iraq, (2) the funding the United States has provided
to support other countries' participation in the multinational force, and
(3) the financial support international donors have provided to Iraq
reconstruction efforts.
This testimony is based on GAO's prior work and data collected for this
hearing. Although we reviewed both classified and unclassified documents,
the information in this statement is based only on unclassified documents.
We completed this work in accordance with generally accepted government
auditing standards.
As of May 2007, 25 countries were contributing 12,600 troops to
multinational forces in Iraq. Compared with 145,000 U.S. troops, coalition
countries represent about 8 percent of multinational forces in Iraq. From
December 2003 through May 2007, the number of coalition troops decreased
from 24,000 to 12,600; the number of coalition nations contributing troops
decreased from 33 to 25. The United Kingdom, Poland, and Republic of Korea
are responsible for leading operations in three of seven security sectors
in Iraq. In addition, coalition troops have performed humanitarian,
medical, and reconstruction missions. Some have provided combat
capabilities, such as infantry and explosive ordnance capabilities.
The United States has spent about $1.5 billion to transport, sustain, and
provide other services for military troops from 20 countries other than
the United States and Iraq. The United States used about $1 billion of the
$1.5 billion to feed, house, and equip these countries. In terms of
allocation by country, about $988 million, or 66 percent, was used to
support Poland and the countries under its command, and $300 million, or
20 percent, supported Jordan for border operations and other activities.
In addition to support for operations in Iraq, the United States, through
the State Department, has provided about $1.9 billion in security
assistance for military training and equipment to 10 coalition members and
Jordan since 2003.
As of April 2007, international donors had pledged about $14.9 billion for
reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Some countries exceeded their pledges by
an additional $744 million for a total of $15.6 billion. About $11
billion, or 70 percent, of these pledges are loans, with the remaining
$4.6 billion in the form of grants. As of April 2007, Iraq had accessed
about $436 million in loans and $3 billion in grants.
U.S. and Coalition Troops in Iraq
References
Visible links
15. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-612T
16. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-612T
24. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-827T
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