# Dominican Troops in Iraq (2003)

URL: https://allhistories.com/dominican-republic/timeline/2003-dominican-troops-in-iraq
Location: Diwaniyah, Iraq
Themes: battle

After the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the Bush administration sought contributions from allies to the stabilisation force. Spain organised the Plus Ultra Brigade, a multinational unit attached to the Polish-led division in south-central Iraq, which included contingents from Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. President Hipólito Mejía, eager to strengthen ties with Washington, agreed to send troops. About 300 Dominican soldiers, the 'Quisqueya' contingent, were deployed from August 2003 to the area around Diwaniyah and Najaf, where they carried out patrols, guard duties and humanitarian tasks. The mission was unpopular at home, where critics questioned its legality and cost. As the Shia uprising grew in spring 2004 and Spain's new Socialist government withdrew its forces after the Madrid train bombings, the Plus Ultra Brigade broke up. Mejía announced the withdrawal in April 2004, and the last Dominican troops left Iraq in May 2004, without suffering combat deaths. The episode was the first deployment of Dominican forces to a foreign war and fed debate over the country's alignment with US foreign policy. At this point in the timeline (August 2003), the President of the Dominican Republic was Hipólito Mejía (16 August 2000 – 16 August 2004).

## Why it matters
It was the first overseas military deployment in Dominican history and a sign of the Mejía government's close alignment with the United States.

Ruler at the Time: [Hipólito Mejía](https://allhistories.com/dominican-republic/rulers/hipolito-mejia)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Plus Ultra Brigade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus_Ultra_Brigade)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Iraq War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Iraq-War)
- [Wikipedia — Multi-National Force – Iraq](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-National_Force_–_Iraq)
- [Wikipedia — The Contemporary Republic (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic)