Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq)

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Multi-National Division (South-East) (MND(SE)) is a British commanded division responsible for security in the south east of Iraq. It is responsible for the large city of Basra and its headquarters is located at the city's airport.

In aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq the British 1st Armoured Division and 3rd Mechanised Division were successively responsible for the command and control of the occupation forces in south east Iraq. After 3rd Mechanised Division's tour of duty came to an end it was replaced by the composite headquarters of MND(SE). Since then the division has been made up primarily of British units with other nations in support. Most of the combat firepower of the division has been centred around the British brigade group deployed at the time and the division also contained an Italian brigade for a period.

The area around Basra has been much quieter than the American occupation zone further north but there have been a significant number of incidents in which forces of the division have been killed. It is the current aim of the division to hand over all responsibility for security to Iraqi forces, although it is unclear how long this process will take.

In Bob Woodward's book State of Denial he recounts the experience of Frank Miller, who as of March 2004 was the senior director for defense on the National Security Council. During the course of a fact finding trip to Iraq in that month he visited the leadership of the Multinational Division. Woodward's description is as follows:

Miller moved on to meet with the Polish commander of the Multinational Division, made up of troops from 23 nations. This was the shakiest part of the coalition--but an important fig leaf to suggest that the war was a broad international effort.
The Polish division commander told Miller, "I've got 23 separate national units. They have 23 separate rules of engagement. I pick up the phone, I tell the colonel in charge of the Spanish Brigade what to do. He picks up his phone, calls Madrid, and says, 'I've been told to do this. Is it okay?'"
Miller understood that this menat the Multinational Division had little or no fighting capability.

[edit] Order of Battle

The Division includes UK, Italian, Japanese, Australian, Romanian, Danish, Portuguese, Czech and Lithuanian troops. The UK itself has about 7,200 personnel serving in Iraq, separated into the following battlegroups.

United Kingdom Brigade

Headquarters 20th Armoured Brigade and 200 Signals Squadron.

Maysan Battlegroup

Units in the battlegroup are Headquarters The Queen's Royal Hussars Battlegroup, C Squadron The Queen's Royal Hussars, A Company 1st Battalion The Light Infantry, and C Company 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

Task Force Muthanna

Headquarters Task Force Muthanna, Headquarters 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, Task Group Headquarters AMTG, A Squadron 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, Combat Team COURAGE, AMTG, and Combat Team QUINTUS, AMTG.

Basra City Battlegroup

Headquarters, B and D Company from the 1st Battalion The Light Infantry, A Squadron The Queen's Royal Hussars, B Company The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, and 17 Battery 26 Regiment Royal Artillery.

Basra Rural North Battlegroup

Attached to Danish forces in this battlegroup is 58 (Eyre's) Battery, 12 Regiment Royal Artillery.

Basra Rural South Battlegroup

The battlegroup is composed of Headquarters and A, B, and C companies of The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry.

Provincial Security Sector Reform Battlegroup

Headquarters and A and B Companies, 2nd Battalion, of The Royal Anglian Regiment compose this battlegroup.

20 Armoured Brigade Reserve

D Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment is the brigade's reserve unit.

The Rear Operations Battlegroup

This battlegroup is made up of Headquarters, Queen’s Company, Inkerman Company, and Support Company from The Grenadier Guards, and B Squadron, 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards.

SHAIBA Logistics Base

Units based here are 35 Engineer Regiment, Headquarters 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 111 Provost Company, B Squadron The Queen's Royal Hussars, A and B Company, 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 2 Close Support Logistic Battalion, 2 Works Group and 22 Field Hospital.