DIWANIYAH, Iraq — In a relatively modest but welcome bit of relief for American forces, troops from 21 countries including Spain, Poland and four Central American nations will begin taking over duties from U.S. Marines in south-central Iraq this week.
The changeover involving about 10,000 fresh troops comes as President Bush renews efforts to enlist more countries' help in Iraq, hoping that last week's bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad will motivate heretofore reluctant allies to take part in shoring up security.
But the soldiers taking over this week are not an immediate response to Bush's call. Rather, they are fulfilling promises their nations made months ago to contribute forces to the coalition assembled by the United States and Britain.
Nor will their arrival augment the military presence in Iraq, where anti-coalition attacks and other violence are showing no signs of letting up. Instead, the foreign forces will simply replace troops that have been here for months.
The 1,300-strong Spanish contingent will formally relieve U.S. forces, including troops from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, on Thursday. They will be joined at their base in this rice- and date-growing town 100 miles south of the capital this week by 1,200 troops from Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and El Salvador, all of whom will be under Spanish command.
"Our mission is fundamentally to establish stability and security in the region and help civil authorities, governors and mayors to carry out their duties and also help as much as possible in the reconstruction of Iraq," said Spanish Army Gen. Alfredo Cardona, the contingent's commanding officer.
Over the weekend, Spanish forces in desert fatigues were busy fixing up the base here, which was abandoned by the Iraqi army in 1991.
In addition to constructing a helicopter landing pad using asphalt and gravel, the troops are preparing a field hospital for the foreign contingent, clearing old Iraqi tanks out of a repair bay and making neglected dormitories habitable.
Cardona's command will work to secure Iraq's south-central area. Poland, which is sending 2,400 troops, will assume overall command of the region next week.
Other large manpower contributors include the Ukraine, with 1,700 troops.
A number of U.S. troops will remain in the zone, and final authority rests with the U.S.-led coalition authorities.
