The invasion of Iraq in March 2003-Operation Iraqi Freedom-was controversial at its start. The United Nations was reluctant to provide a specific endorsement for direct U.S. military action. Without this authorization, a number of close allies refused to participate in the operation. In order to garner greater support and provide an international flavor to the intervention, President George W. Bush assembled a "coalition of the willing," ultimately involving about sixty nations. Although some of these countries supplied little more than nominal assistance, fully thirty-seven of them furnished...

The invasion of Iraq in March 2003-Operation Iraqi Freedom-was controversial at its start. The United Nations was reluctant to provide a specific endorsement for direct U.S. military action. Without this authorization, a number of close allies refused to participate in the operation. In order to garner greater support and provide an international flavor to the intervention, President George W. Bush assembled a "coalition of the willing," ultimately involving about sixty nations. Although some of these countries supplied little more than nominal assistance, fully thirty-seven of them furnished...