Poland talks of Iraq withdrawal

[Talon]

Poland talks of Iraq withdrawal

Poland's Defence Minister, Jerzy Szmajdzinski, has said he believes Polish troops should withdraw from Iraq at the end of next year.

He said the troops should return home in December 2005, when UN authorisation for the current mission expires.

But Prime Minister Marek Belka said he had not been consulted on the remarks, Poland's PAP news agency reported.

Poland, a staunch ally of the US in Iraq, sent 2,400 troops and commands a multinational force of 6,000.

In an interview with Polish radio, Mr Szmajdzinski said: "I hope that the situation in Iraq will allow us to carry out our plan to withdraw our units.

"We do not have such a major army as the United States or Britain to allow us to have limitless possibilities."

Divisions emerge

This is the first time anyone in the government has suggested a timetable for withdrawing the troops.

But the Foreign Minister, Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz has distanced the government from the defence minister's remarks.

"I would like the situation in Iraq to evolve to allow us to say that our mission in Iraq is over," he told reporters.

"But this is not the case. We have to grit our teeth and be consistent. Poland, which in the past has so often been betrayed by its allies, would not like to betray for the first time its ally."

Mr Szmajdzinski, who has reportedly been asked to see the prime minister over his comments, later said he had been giving a "personal view".

The government's coalition partner, the Labour Union, has been demanding a pull-out date for the troops.

The government faces a vote of confidence next month, and elections in the middle of next year.

Polish Radio 1 said senior officers were surprised by Mr Szmajdzinski's remarks. The station said one officer, who asked to remain anonymous, said they had not made any decisions on the subject.

Opinion polls suggest more than 70% of Poles are opposed to the presence of their country's troops in Iraq.

Seventeen Polish nationals have died in Iraq, including 13 soldiers and four civilians.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ope/3713186.stm

[wunarmdscissor]

This is the prblem when we only get 3rd rate allies with no real military or economic strength.

This is what happens when you ignore world opinion and fact.

Now its basically us the americans and the Japanese with tooken help from australia.

We need the world to back us. not ignore them.

To all these bush supporters who think to hell with the UN we are the USA we can do anything.

Look we cant ,America may be the world's only Superpower but it cant do everything alone.

Now do u understand the importance of the UN and international backing.