Multi-National Force – Iraq
The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a military command during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and much of the ensuing Iraq War, led by the United States of America (Operation Iraqi Freedom), United Kingdom (Operation Telic), Australia, Italy (Operation Ancient Babylon), Spain and Poland, responsible for conducting and handling military operations.
Multi-National Force – Iraq
Raymond T. Odierno (2008–2009) David Petraeus (2007–2008) George W. Casey Jr. (2004–2007) Ricardo Sanchez (2003–2004)
14 May 2004 – 31 December 2009
Baghdad, Iraq
112,000 (December 2009)[2]
The MNF-I replaced the previous force, Combined Joint Task Force 7, on 15 May 2004, and was later itself reorganized into its successor, United States Forces – Iraq, on 1 January 2010. The Force was significantly reinforced during the Iraq War troop surge of 2007. As of May 2011, all non-U.S. coalition members had withdrawn from Iraq,[4] with the U.S. military withdrawing from the country on December 18, 2011, thus, bringing about an end to the Iraq War.[5]
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, which does humanitarian work and has a number of guards and military observers, has also operated in Iraq since 2003. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq was not a part of the MNF-I, but a separate entity. The NATO Training Mission – Iraq, was in Iraq from 2004 to December 2011, where it trained the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police.
Definition[edit]
The news media in the United States generally used the term "U.S.-led coalition" to describe Multi-National Force – Iraq, as the vast majority of military forces in MNF-I were contributed from the United States.[6] The majority of countries that deployed military forces to Iraq as part of the MNF-I generally confined them to their respective military installations,[6] due to widespread violence throughout the country.
– According to the U.S. State Department, a total of 15 countries participated covertly.[13] According to leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, despite the Canadian government's official position that they would not participate in the invasion, Canadian officials allegedly promised to clandestinely support it.[14] In addition to naval vessels and personnel already in the region,[14] Canadian officers, Major Generals Walter Natynczyk, Peter Devlin, and Nicholas Matern, served as Deputy Commanding Generals of Multi-National Corps – Iraq.[15][16] and Canadian pilots flew Boeing C-17s into Iraq to "season" the flight crews.[17] In 2003, Prime Minister Chrétien admitted that some Canadian troops could be serving alongside U.S. and British troops in Iraq. "It's possible," he said, "but they are not in combat roles." Canadian Defense Minister John McCallum refused to give Parliament details about the locations of Canadian soldiers in Iraq.[18]
