|
Poland could pull troops from Iraq in summer 2008
WARSAW, Poland - Poland could pull its troops out of Iraq in summer next year, the nations new defence minister said in remarks published Tuesday. Prime Minister Donald Tusks government will seek the approval of President Lech Kaczynski, the army supreme commander, to send a final rotation of troops to Iraq in the first half of 2008, Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said in remarks published by the Rzeczpospolita daily newspaper.However, it will be a closing mission which will prepare the final pullout of our troops, Klich was quoted as saying. I hope it will be possible in the summer of 2008. Klich said Poland must explain the reason for the pullout decision to its coalition partners, especially United States, in such a way as not to expose our relations with our allies to harm. Tusk made the withdrawal from Iraq an important element of the election campaign that swept him to power last month, but has not yet announced a timeline. The president, who has to sign off on any government decision to bring troops home, has spoken out against withdrawing Polands troops from Iraq. Poland has 900 troops that lead an international force of 2,000 soldiers in southeastern Iraq. The mission has the presidents authorization until Dec. 31 of this year. Posted by: Steve White 2007-11-28 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=209935 |