BAGHDAD: The war in Iraq was truly an American-only effort after Britain and Australia, the last of its international partners, pulled out.

Little attention was paid in Iraq to what effectively ended the so-called coalition of the willing, with the US - as the leader of Multi-National Force, Iraq - letting the withdrawals pass without any public demonstration.

The quiet end of the coalition was a departure from its creation, which saw then-US President George W. Bush court countries for support before and after the March 2003 invasion.