Waitaminnit!!! Didn't Poland announce that they were withdrawing

[CatWoman]

from Iraq?

Or was it another country?

[Goldmund]

1. Nope, I don't think Poland ever did

It was only Spain out of the major ones -- and plenty of minor "allies" like the Philippines, etc.

I don't remember exactly how many troops Poland actually has there, but it's some miniscule amount.

[On the Road]

2. Costa Rica Told the US to "Get Us Off the List" Last Month

prompting Jon Stewart to remark that American had sunk to being an annoying telemarketer.

[Ripley]

3. Hey don't insult the Poles!!

Or Tony Blair for goodness sakes! Notice how the idjit couldn't say Kerry insulted the British people, but just Blair? I wish he had said that, then JK could have come back with the overwhelming anti-war polls from those nations.

[leetrisck]

4. I think we are paying the salaries of the Polish

soldiers and have since the beginning as they simply do not have the money to do this. I know I have read this - just don't know where and I believe it's true.

[nolabels]

16. Ask your accountant for full details on how this works

After Backing U.S. in Iraq, Poland Waits for Economic Payback
By MARK LANDLER

Published: December 21, 2003

WARSAW, Dec. 19 — As the Pentagon starts handing out contracts to rebuild Iraq's sundered roads, bridges, wells and pipelines, few people are waiting with more impatience than the Poles.

In the view of Poland, which risked the ire of its European neighbors by backing the war, committed troops to the occupation and lost its first soldier last month to a sniper near Baghdad, this is payback time.

While the Polish government cited moral and political reasons for its support of the United States, economic motives were never far from the surface. Polish officials freely acknowledged that they hoped that backing a friend in a time of need would translate into more profitable economic ties.

To many here, winning contracts in Iraq is one way to judge whether that bet paid off. Some see it as an ominous sign that Poland has so far netted just one project, a $7 million telecommunications contract.
(snip)
http://www.rocklandaction.org/iraq-postwarinfoarchive.html
(takes you to a link to for the NYT article)

[flpoljunkie]

5. From Reuters, Arab news..."Poland Mulls Iraq Exit Options"

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2004%20News%20archives/April/22%20n/Poland%20Mulls%20Iraq%20Exit%20Options.htm

Poland Mulls Iraq Exit Options 

Reuters, Arab News

WARSAW, 22 April 2004 — Poland is considering options for withdrawing its troops from Iraq, but any possible pullout will not be sudden and will be agreed with Washington, outgoing Prime Minister Leszek Miller said yesterday.

Miller said his likely successor as prime minister, Marek Belka, would map out a strategy for Polish troops in his first policy speech expected in early May.

“We will not make any rash gestures. A final decision about the pullout date will be agreed and well thought over,” he said.

He told reporters that Poland would not follow Spain’s example to pull its troop from Iraq quickly, because this could destabilize the situation in the country.

“The problem (of pulling out troops) exists. We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Spain and others are leaving Iraq,” Miller said. “I cannot say when we will leave (Iraq), but I’m sure the new prime minister will say something more precise.”

A government official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters, however, that Poland was ready to keep its troops in Iraq until the end of 2004 but would like to cut numbers from the current 2,500.

Poland’s soldiers are responsible for a swathe of central and southern Iraq, leading a multinational force of which the Spanish contingent is currently part.

[Philostopher]

6. I don't know, but I do know ...

I read an article by a Polish journalist in The Nation last week who said even the hard-right conservatives in Poland are starting to regret that they let themselves be swept into supporting Bush* in Iraq. The liberals who supported Poland's affiliation with the U.S. have already jumped ship, they were disgusted by the photos from Abu Ghraib.

I think it's time they started calling it the 'coalition of the really, really uneasy about how things are being handled, but afraid of retaliation if they back out now,' instead of 'willing.'

[elehhhhna]

9. Quote from President of Poland:"They (the BA) deceived us ..."

"They deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride."

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1069242.htm

[Crunchy Frog]

7. Poland's only really successful recent military venture

was the invasion and occupation of it's own country in the early '80s.

Sorry, I used to have a huge amount of admiration for Poland, but their role in this occupation and their evident admiration for Chimpy has put me off a little.

One would think that a nation with it's history of resistance to occupation would be the least likely to try to become a colonial power in someone else's country. Maybe the Russians rubbed off on them a little too much.

[ecojustice]

8. Poland Blunder by Kerry -- Like Gerry Ford's Poland Blunder

Face it, it was a blunder last night by Kerry with the Poland thing. He didn't even know that Poland was a member of the coalition.

This is reminiscent of Gerry Ford's Poland blunder in 1976. That cost him the election -- saying that Poland was not a Soviet satellite.

[CatWoman]

11. ROFL!!!

Karl Rove posts on DU!!!!!!!!

Perhaps Kerry didn't mention Poland as a member of the coalition because it didn't need mentioning.

Their contribution is so minuscule.

[leetrisck]

12. Too funny - bush is the most ill-informed

silly nutcase that has ever occupied the White House

[genius]

13. Poland was Bush's blunder. Kerry set the trap and Bush fell in.

[Ripley]

14. Can you read?

Look at post 9 about what Poland says.

The only blunder last night was the dumbass Bubble Boy sneering and smirking and sweating like a stuck pig. You are in serious denial. When did Kerry say he didn't know they were a member? Ahhh forget it, you aren't worth my time...

[spanone]

17. Go Away you little freeper. You post is bullshit.

[VOX]

18. Welcome to DU, and aloha!

Smooth sailing, although your stone boat may lack buoyancy. :hi:

[Rose Siding]

10. Here's what the Polish pres said-

looks like it was a few months ago:

snip>
President Aleksander Kwasniewski said Poland had been mislead about the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

He said:

ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI (translated): They deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride.

JOHN SHOVELAN: Poland has about 2,500 troops in Iraq.

The Polish President is reported to be considering withdrawing his troops next year, earlier than they were scheduled to depart. But he maintains any withdrawal wouldn’t be out of a fear of reprisal because of Poland's role in the coalition. And he's opposed to any immediate withdrawal and has been critical of the Spanish Prime Minister’s announcement that he might withdraw his troops without a new UN resolution.

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1069242.htm

(atrios links to a blog that linked to this article)

[da_chimperor]

15. Link

To an article saying Kwasniewski talking about maybe pulling out in 2005, but it's not that recent :(

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2668011