MOLDOVA troops TBD Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, a place where people resort to things like prostitution and selling bodily organs to survive. But they have sent about 75 troops to Iraq since 2003, something the Communist Moldovan president

MOLDOVA troops TBD

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, a place where people resort to things like prostitution and selling bodily organs to survive. But they have sent about 75 troops to Iraq since 2003, something the Communist Moldovan president has called "making a contribution to international security." Moldova is generally not known for such contributions, as it has long been a useful conduit for international arms-traffickers and other nefarious types. This can be attributed in part to the government's powerlessness over the Transnistria breakaway province that is aligned with Russia and has been suspected of being used to ship weapons to insurgent forces in Iraq. The U.S. has joined Moldova in protesting the presence of Russian troops in the disputed region. Eleven Moldovan de-mining experts returned home earlier this year, and it's unclear how many remain, but another set of Moldovan troops in Iraq would not be surprising given their keen interest in modernizing their military with U.S. and NATO assistance.

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MONGOLIA 160 troops

Mongolian participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom was a surprise to everyone, including the U.S. That's because U.S. officials didn't even think to ask the former Soviet satellite in East Asia if they wanted tickets to the big gun show. But they did, and an infantry company of Mongolian troops has been in Iraq since 2003.

For many Iraqis, this is something of an unwanted encore performance by the Mongolians, who last came to Iraq in the 13th century under the leadership of Genghis Khan's grandson Hulagu Khan. The Mongol invaders leveled Baghdad so completely—killing by some estimates as many as a million people—that many Sunnis still hold a bitter grudge with the Shi'a over it, believing that a Shi'a opened the city gates for the Mongols.

But the Mongolian commander in Iraq says that their intentions are honorable this time: "Then, we went to invade. This time, we are going to build Iraq." Mongolia's eager coziness with the U.S. has been noticed with disfavor by some of its neighbors, particularly those who will probably be spied on by U.S. listening posts that may or may not be under construction in Mongolia. (Hello, China and Russia!)

Mongolia seems satisfied with the return on their Iraq investment. They've gained valuable U.S. assistance in modernizing their military, scored a U.S. trade deal, and were even paid a visit by President Bush in 2005, the first-ever visit by a U.S. president. As one Mongolian official proudly described the fruits of their labor, "Now everyone will know where Mongolia is." (FYI, it's here.)

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THE NETHERLANDS 15 troops, 2 military fatalities

The Netherlands has 15 soldiers in Iraq, all of whom are dedicated solely to the NATO mission of training Iraqi police officers. The Dutch were far more involved in earlier years, with a force of almost 1,400 troops in Iraq at one point. But public opinion in the Netherlands became increasingly more negative about the Iraq war; specific terrorist threats in Amsterdam and the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic fanatic likely contributed to a perception that involvement in Iraq was increasing their vulnerability to terrorist attack.

Dutch troops may not have been that enthusiastic about the mission either, as they were rumored to have threatened to go on strike while in Iraq over low pay. After the Iraqi elections in January 2005, the Dutch quickly called the mission a success and withdrew all but 15 of their troops. "There are no reasons, no security reasons, to stay any longer," said one Dutch official.

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