Our European Allies - Not Much Help

“Consider their response the last time a large U.N.-commanded force went to war—in Korea.”

Hat tip www.RealClearPolitics.com Read Europe Learns the Wrong Lessons by Karl Zinsmeister
“Truth be told, continental Europeans have been making themselves scarce during times of crisis for more than two generations. Their current claim is that lack of a U.N. mandate is what has prevented Europe from standing shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks. But the Old World’s failure to make any proportionate contribution to the war on terror is actually part of a long historical pattern. Consider their response the last time a large U.N.-commanded force went to war—in Korea.”

“After North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, the U.N. responded militarily. Of the 340,000 troops sent under U.N. control, how many of these do you suppose were European? About 5 percent. In the crunch, only Britain provided meaningful help, sending 14,198 soldiers at the Korean War’s peak. The next biggest European contribution? Greece, with 1,263. France followed, providing all of 1,119 troops.”

“The U.S., meanwhile, provided more than 300,000 fighters. Do the math and you’ll see something interesting: The Korean War alliance included 16 nations, and America supplied 88 percent of the military manpower. The Iraq War coalition included 32 nations, and 85 percent of the G.I.s were Americans. (Poland, Holland, and the Ukraine each contributed more soldiers to the Iraq War coalition than the French did to the Korean War.) See a pattern?”

See Prior Post:
“Ireland today is the richest country in the European Union after Luxembourg”
World Watches as Iraq Becomes Test for Democracy
Iraq is no Vietnam – How’s Troop Morale?
Young Iraqi Shiite Cleric to US: Bet on Democracy in Iraq