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  • Polish minister says Iraqi authorities want number of Polish troopsm

    Polish minister says Iraqi authorities want number of Polish troops maintained

    Trybuna, Warsaw
    3 Sep 04

    Excerpt from an interview with Polish Defence Minister Jerzy
    Szmajdzinski by Andrzej Rudnicki, entitled "Fitful sleep" published
    by Polish newspaper Trybuna on 3 September

    Rudnicki Do thoughts of Iraq cause you to lose any sleep?

    Szmajdzinski Yes, all too often. I do not think that is a good sign.

    Rudnicki One year has passed since the multinational division under
    the Polish command took over the south-central sector of Iraq. Was
    it worth going in there?

    Szmajdzinski If we look at it in the broader perspective, I think
    it was. The very difficult and risky decisions we made, counter to
    what the general public said, only go to show that Poland sees its
    security to be indivisible. Our involvement in missions of this sort
    stems from the need to ensure international security. This stood true
    50 years ago, and it stood true one year ago. Iraq is a safer place
    without Saddam, but that does not mean the process that is currently
    under way in that country is secure.

    Rudnicki Still, the reasons for attacking Iraq have proved to be
    very dubious.

    Szmajdzinski The US and UK intelligence services made their
    miscalculations. Saddam refused to implement more than a dozen UN
    Security Council resolutions. Iraq refused to observe the principles
    that we had all embraced within the UN charter. The Saddam regime
    threatened the Iraqi people and the entire population of the Middle
    East. On the whole, our arguments seem to stand strong.

    Passage omitted .

    Rudnicki You had no doubt that Polish troops were sacrificing their
    lives for a just cause?

    Szmajdzinski Our activity in Iraq was received with support and
    gratitude. Throughout one year we implemented projects developing
    the Iraqi infrastructure, health care system, and education worth a
    total of 50m zlotys approx. 13.6m dollars . The international community
    was split when the operation began. Today, however, it has no doubt
    that the situation in Iraq must be stabilized. The process is under
    way: there is a provisional Iraqi government in place and Iraq has
    a president.

    Prime Minister Marek Belka received a letter from his Iraqi counterpart
    Iyad Allawi on Thursday 2 September . He has heard that we are
    planning to reduce the number of our troops in his country. He is
    asking us not to do it and prevent destabilization. President Ghazi
    Mish'al Ajil al-Yawar is to visit Poland in the next few days. A
    delegation of the Iraqi Defence Ministry has visited us recently,
    declaring that the Iraqi authorities expect us to keep our troops
    in their country and help them develop and equip their army. Despite
    the risks we have taken and the lives we have lost, we are carrying
    out our mission of returning Iraq back to the Iraqi people.

    Rudnicki What has Poland gained after one year of involvement in
    the operation?

    Szmajdzinski I find it difficult to talk about this. The Polish
    government did not set any conditions when it made its decision. We
    are carrying out this mission to ensure security in that part of the
    world in the belief that it contributes to Polish and international
    security. People abroad are speaking about Poland more kindly and
    warmly today, they speak of our involvement and credibility. At
    least this is what I see in my international contacts. In my view,
    this translates into a warmer climate surrounding Poland as a serious
    participant in these events.

    Rudnicki Talks on the fourth shift of the Polish contingent in Iraq
    have begun at the Warsaw Citadel. Will our troops be reduced in line
    with earlier announcements, or will the Polish authorities heed the
    Iraqi pleas and change their stance?

    Szmajdzinski Taking part in the conference are representatives of
    states involved in our division and Armenia, a new partner that is to
    send 50 servicemen to Iraq. No one, Poland included, will reduce their
    contingents before the Iraqi elections scheduled for January. We have
    also decided to hand over Babylon back to the Iraqis. The command of
    the division will probably relocate to al-Kadisiyah Province. We will
    pull out of Karbala. The division will be relocated to the Babil,
    Wasit and al-Kadisiyah provinces.

    Rudnicki Will there be fewer troops?

    Szmajdzinski Maybe. We are not discussing the size of the new
    contingent at this point. This depends on how the situation in Iraq
    develops, how the political process proceeds, and how soon an Iraqi
    army that can replace us is formed. I am a moderate optimist as far as
    the next few months are concerned. Our UN mandate expires at the turn
    of 2005 and 2006. This means our military mission will come to an end
    then. Unless the Iraqi government wants us to leave earlier, that is.

    Rudnicki Thank you for the interview.
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