RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Politics and Current Events "It's not about oil or Iraq..."

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whomod said:
I guess this is the part where the usual suspects here on these boards belittle our allies and call them cowardly for the audacity to finally call Bush on his bullshit.

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Poland 'Misled' on Iraq, President Says

Thu Mar 18, 6:18 PM ET


By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA, Associated Press Writer

WARSAW, Poland - President Aleksander Kwasniewski, a key U.S. ally, said Thursday that Poland was "misled" about whether Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction and was considering withdrawing troops from Iraq several months early.

The remarks came as polls show about half of Poles are opposed to involvement in Iraq and after deadly bombings in Madrid — possibly by al-Qaida in retaliation for Spain's alliance with the United States — triggered fears of a terror attack on Polish soil.

Kwasniewski's comments were the first by a Polish leader to raise doubts about the intelligence behind the decision for going to war. He tempered them by stressing that Poland is not about to abandon its mission in Iraq, and said Iraq was a better place without Saddam.

"But naturally I also feel uncomfortable due to the fact that we were misled with the information on weapons of mass destruction," Kwasniewski told French reporters, according to a transcript released by his press office.

"This is the problem of the United States, of Britain and also of many other nations," he later told a news conference.

Despite his comments, U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said she did not think Poland was withdrawing its support for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

"I talked to the Poles, and they think they were a bit misinterpreted here, because there's been no stronger ally in this than the Poles," Rice said in a CNN interview. She said President Bush (news - web sites) and Kwasniewski had discussed the issue of Saddam's alleged arsenal "and they went to war for the right reasons."

Poland contributed 2,400 combat troops to the Iraq invasion and now commands a 9,500-strong multinational force, making it one of Washington's staunchest allies. But while many Poles feel historically close to the United States, public support for the mission in Iraq has been tepid.

A poll last week found 42 percent of adults in favor and 53 percent opposed. The CBOS survey had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Kwasniewski's criticism of the prewar intelligence also puts him in line with widespread public sentiment in Western Europe, just before Poland joins the European Union (news - web sites) on May 1.

"Poland so far lacked a necessary balance before the EU entry. It was too pro-American," said Janina Paradowska, a commentator for the Polityka weekly. "Now is the time to have better European cooperation."

State Department spokesman Adam Ereli, reacting to reports of Kwasniewski's remarks, also said Washington does not believe Poland is wavering: "We have no reason to have any ... questions or doubts about Poland's steadfast support of the mission in Iraq."

As early as November, a poll found 75 percent of Poles feared the country's role in Iraq would lead to a terrorist attack at home.

"I don't think the president's remarks are linked only to the situation after Madrid, but in general ... with the effects of involvement in Iraq, and with the fact that the public opinion is tired with our involvement," Bronislaw Komorowski, a former defense minister, told The Associated Press.


Another reason for Kwasniewski's blunt remarks may be Polish disappointment that wartime loyalty has not led to more Iraq reconstruction contracts and an easing of U.S. visa requirements for Poles — points Kwasniewski recently raised with Bush.

"Kwasniewski addressed his remarks to Washington, not to Warsaw," said Zbigniew Lewicki, head of the American Studies Center at Warsaw University. "Kwasniewski was in Washington in January to demand a visa waiver and contracts ... and came back with nothing."

The Polish-led force in Iraq includes 1,300 troops from Spain, whose new government has said it wants to withdraw them by June 30 unless the United Nations (news - web sites) takes control of peacekeeping.

Kwasniewski, speaking after a meeting of his top security officials to discuss Poland's response to the Madrid bombings, said he will urge Spain to reconsider its decision.

Earlier Thursday, Kwasniewski said Poland may start withdrawing its troops from Iraq early next year, months before previously planned. He cited progress toward stabilizing Iraq.

"Everything suggests that pullout from Iraq may be possible after the stabilization mission is crowned with success and, in my assessment soon, it may be the start of 2005," Kwasniewski told RMF.FM radio. Previously, Polish officials said they might start withdrawing troops in mid-2005.

Spain's new government made its pullout threat shortly after winning elections Sunday, three days after the Madrid bombings.

Kwasniewski insisted that Poland — where security officials have acknowledged lacking experience in dealing with terrorist attacks — would not bow to terror.

"We are facing the same threat as Spain," Kwasniewski said in the radio interview, but he stressed that "terrorism must be combatted, also with force."

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Poland's president says troops will remain in Iraq as long as needed
Fri Mar 19, 3:40 PM ET

MONIKA SCISLOWSKA

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - President Aleksander Kwasniewski reassured U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) on Friday that Polish troops will stay in Iraq (news - web sites) "as long as needed," a day after suggesting they might leave months early.



In a phone call from Bush, Kwasniewski also brought up his remark Thursday that he was "misled" by intelligence about Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s weapons of mass destruction.


He said "misunderstandings" about his remarks should be discounted because Poland's alliance with the United States was strong, his national security adviser Marek Siwiec said.


"We will be in Iraq as long as needed to achieve the intended goals, plus one day longer," Kwasniewski told Bush, according to Siwiec.


Poland sent combat troops to the Iraq war and commands a postwar multinational force of some 9,500 troops, including 2,400 of its own, a sign of its allegiance to Washington.


But the Madrid train bombings and the new Spanish government's threat to withdraw its soldiers from Iraq have raised serious concern in Warsaw.


On Thursday, Kwasniewski said he believed Iraq was stabilizing and that Polish troops might start leaving early next year, months earlier than the mid-2005 withdrawal previously cited by Polish leaders.


His remarks were the first by any Polish leader to criticize prewar intelligence reports, an issue that has led to controversy in Britain and he United States.


But Siwiec emphasized that the Polish president was criticizing intelligence failures in general, not Washington: "It was not a complaint by Poland addressed to the United States."


The 20-minute talk with Bush had been previously scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Siwiec said. In Washington, the White House stressed Poland's commitment, distributing a statement from Kwasniewski's office.


"Poland will not withdraw from Iraq until the mission of stabilization is successfully accomplished and counts on effective co-operation with the United States, Great Britain, Spain and other NATO (news - web sites) and UN member states," the statement said.


"Any demonstration of weakness in view of terrorist attacks undermines the foundations of democracy, nations' security and world peace," it said.


Prime Minister Leszek Miller said Friday that Poland remains committed to postwar peacekeeping, but would like to see Iraqis regain sovereignty.


"We wish that our troops return as soon as possible and do not spend in Iraq a single day longer than is necessary," Miller said.


When he spoke Thursday, Kwasniewski had already tempered his criticism by saying Poland still believes that invading Iraq was the right thing to do and that the country is a better place without Saddam.


"But naturally I also feel uncomfortable due to the fact that we were misled with the information on weapons of mass destruction," Kwasniewski told French reporters.


Poor whomod