| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Iraq | |
| Polish Troops Look Forward to Iraq Duty | |
| 2003-08-06 | |
| EFL The Polish public is less than supportive about sending their soldiers into Iraq. But as Poland readies for its largest peacekeeping mission ever, soldiers say they are looking forward to showcasing their military prowess while offering Iraqis a helping hand. "We have some idea about what life will be there - certainly dangerous - but we are trained for that," says Pvt. Jacek Herbot, 23. "It will be difficult for us to understand each other, hard to adjust to Arab customs. I hope they will not treat us as enemies."
As opposed to those nations sending troops to a U.N. mission. "They are very ambitious and they will do everything to do a good job," said Lt. Col. Uwe Semprich, a spokesman at NATO’s Multinational Corps Northeast, which groups Polish, Danish and German troops in the Baltic port of Szczecin. "They know that there is always something that you can learn to do better." Most of Polish troops heading for Iraq this week come from the elite Szczecin 12th Mechanized Division, the Polish army’s most modern and best equipped, chosen for the mission after receiving top marks in NATO exercises. The division - which is contributing two battalions and a command staff to work at the sector headquarters in Hillah 40 miles south of Baghdad - earlier sent troops to peacekeeping operations in the Middle East and the Balkans. Excellent! Troops have been training since May, perfecting their peacekeeping and shooting skills. They also are taking lessons from the field, adjusting their training based on reports from Iraq. American advisers warned, for instance, that Iraqis often attack vehicles at the end of the column at night, prompting the Poles to prepare more night watch equipment. The training has also included classes with experts from the Polish Center for Eastern Studies on Iraqi life, language and customs, with an emphasis on solving conflicts and negotiate. "There was a lot of stress on body language and behavior to avoid misunderstandings," said Maj. Dariusz Faszcza, a Szczecin Division spokesman. "What could be taken for a quarreling group in Poland, can be a joyful company in Iraq." "We don’t have a lot of automatic weapons at our weddings." Along with their peacekeeping roles, Col. Waldemar Czarnecki said their aim will be building good relations with local leaders and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure - including roads, hospitals and bridges destroyed during the war. "If we follow the rules then I don’t think it will cause negative reactions," Czarnecki said. "But you cannot rule out terrorist acts." Good attitude, welcome aboard. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 Chuck: Don't think they won't bring that up. After all, it was only 325 years ago. "Infidel Crusaders! They've come back to finish the job!" |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-8-6 4:41:14 PM |
| #3 Chuck, that might make them some extra points with the northern Kurds. |
| Posted by: Don 2003-8-6 4:18:58 PM |
| #2 Pay is about triple the norm for this duty. Poles have always worked well with Moslems. On September 11, 1683, Jan III Sobieski defeated the Turks at Vienna. Odd date, that... |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-8-6 2:22:26 PM |
| #1 Keep in mind that military service in Poland is compulsory. They probably picked out troops from the "career" side of the military to make up the division, in addition to offering higher pay of course. |
| Posted by: Raphael 2003-8-6 1:43:23 PM |