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President George W Bush said after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that "over 40 nations now support our efforts. We are grateful for their determination, we appreciate their vision and we welcome their support".
Earlier, the president's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said that the "coalition of the willing" was made up of countries of every race and faith, on every continent, with a population of 1.18bn and a GDP of $27 trillion.
He said the coalition was growing all the time, but put the number at 35.
And Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it was larger than that assembled during the first Gulf War in 1991.
On Tuesday, the state department had released a list of 30 countries who support the US position on Iraq, and provided some kind of material assistance, while an additional 15 countries were said to be supporting US efforts, but unable to go public.
No details
But a state department spokeswoman on Thursday said that there were no plans to release any additional names, as the situation was still fluid, and the number was growing all the time.
Powell; briefed President
However she said that around 35 countries have now publicly backed the US, some of them countries which had previously preferred to be anonymous.
It is understood that Iceland, Kuwait and possibly Cyprus may be on the expanded list.
The state department also says that the total number of countries supporting the US publicly or privately, is around 45 - making the total the same as on Tuesday.
Only a few of these countries are providing any major military presence in the Gulf, notably Britain and Australia.
Mr Fleischer said that 85% of the military effort was American.
Arab absence
The list is most extraordinary for the countries that are left off - which include nearly all of the Arab states, even those countries like Qatar and Bahrain, where US and British forces have been based ahead of the invasion.
With feelings running high in the Arab world against invading Iraq, presumably these countries felt it wise not to be publicly identified with the US action.
Nor is the main US ally in the Middle East, Israel, mentioned.
And traditional US Arab allies, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, clearly did not want to associate themselves with military action against Saddam Hussein.
Range of support
The list includes countries which are providing troops, over-flight or basing rights, logistical support or assistance with reconstruction efforts.
In the latter category are Japan and South Korea, which are only prepared to provide post-conflict financial support for the reconstruction of Iraq.
Many of the countries on the list are from Eastern Europe, where countries like Romania are providing basing rights, while Poland has offered 200 troops and the Czech Republic is sending a chemical-biological warfare support unit.
It was not clear what support countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Iceland were providing to the US coalition, but some are seeking US financial or military support through Nato.
Mr Fleischer said it was not surprising that countries which had recently moved from tyranny to liberty would support the liberation of Iraq.
And the US had promises of support from some of the countries which are already involved in the war on terrorism, including Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and the Philippines.
The US was surprisingly unsuccessful in gaining any allies in its traditional backyard of Latin America.
Only El Salvador, Nicaragua and Colombia - where the US is funding a huge anti-drugs war - were prepared to be identified with the US coalition.
And the only two African countries which are on the list, Ethiopia and Eritrea, are bitter rivals who are both seeking US support in a boundary dispute.
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Tuesday list of coalition countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
Possible additions: Kuwait, Cyprus, Iceland, Bahrain, Qatar.
Earlier, the president's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said that the "coalition of the willing" was made up of countries of every race and faith, on every continent, with a population of 1.18bn and a GDP of $27 trillion.
He said the coalition was growing all the time, but put the number at 35.
And Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it was larger than that assembled during the first Gulf War in 1991.
On Tuesday, the state department had released a list of 30 countries who support the US position on Iraq, and provided some kind of material assistance, while an additional 15 countries were said to be supporting US efforts, but unable to go public.
No details
But a state department spokeswoman on Thursday said that there were no plans to release any additional names, as the situation was still fluid, and the number was growing all the time.
Powell; briefed President
However she said that around 35 countries have now publicly backed the US, some of them countries which had previously preferred to be anonymous.
It is understood that Iceland, Kuwait and possibly Cyprus may be on the expanded list.
The state department also says that the total number of countries supporting the US publicly or privately, is around 45 - making the total the same as on Tuesday.
Only a few of these countries are providing any major military presence in the Gulf, notably Britain and Australia.
Mr Fleischer said that 85% of the military effort was American.
Arab absence
The list is most extraordinary for the countries that are left off - which include nearly all of the Arab states, even those countries like Qatar and Bahrain, where US and British forces have been based ahead of the invasion.
With feelings running high in the Arab world against invading Iraq, presumably these countries felt it wise not to be publicly identified with the US action.
Nor is the main US ally in the Middle East, Israel, mentioned.
And traditional US Arab allies, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, clearly did not want to associate themselves with military action against Saddam Hussein.
Range of support
The list includes countries which are providing troops, over-flight or basing rights, logistical support or assistance with reconstruction efforts.
In the latter category are Japan and South Korea, which are only prepared to provide post-conflict financial support for the reconstruction of Iraq.
Many of the countries on the list are from Eastern Europe, where countries like Romania are providing basing rights, while Poland has offered 200 troops and the Czech Republic is sending a chemical-biological warfare support unit.
It was not clear what support countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Iceland were providing to the US coalition, but some are seeking US financial or military support through Nato.
Mr Fleischer said it was not surprising that countries which had recently moved from tyranny to liberty would support the liberation of Iraq.
And the US had promises of support from some of the countries which are already involved in the war on terrorism, including Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and the Philippines.
The US was surprisingly unsuccessful in gaining any allies in its traditional backyard of Latin America.
Only El Salvador, Nicaragua and Colombia - where the US is funding a huge anti-drugs war - were prepared to be identified with the US coalition.
And the only two African countries which are on the list, Ethiopia and Eritrea, are bitter rivals who are both seeking US support in a boundary dispute.
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Tuesday list of coalition countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
Possible additions: Kuwait, Cyprus, Iceland, Bahrain, Qatar.
They're just as old as Old Europe, and a hell of a lot nastier too. Slavs are scary people.
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