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| Iraq |
| U.S. allies withdraw from Iraq [not all though] |
| 2005-12-27 |
| The last Ukrainian and Bulgarian troops have left Iraq, and Poland plans deep cuts in its deployment next year, the countries said Tuesday, the latest of several U.S. allies to draw down force levels as public demand weighs on government leaders. Poland's deputy defense minister said Tuesday that Poland would reduce troop levels in March, from nearly 1,500 to 900. The announcement came after Poland's government asked President Lech Kaczynski to keep Polish troops in Iraq for another year. There was no immediate reaction from the president, but it was widely expected that he would approve the extension, reversing the previous government's decision to bring troops home within the next few weeks. The deployment is unpopular, and 17 Polish soldiers have died in Iraq. Poland has been a U.S. ally in Iraq, sending combat troops to the country and in September 2003 taking command of an international force that currently numbers some 3,000 troops, including the Poles. However, some in Poland have complained that they have not seen sufficient rewards -- for example, easier access to U.S. visas or more contracts for Polish companies in the rebuilding of Iraq. |
| Posted by:||7 |
| #5 If I didn't know better, I'd think CNN had a hidden agenda to demonstrate that it's a QUAGMIRE!! But no, CNN would NEVER become a cheap propaganda tool for the Defeatocrats. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2005-12-27 21:16 |
| #4 Hell of a fighter Rafael and a better engineer. |
| Posted by: Leon Clavin 2005-12-27 18:07 |
| #3 The Poles were in it partially to cement an American military commitment to Poland in the event the Russians get frisky again, and partially for goodies from Uncle Sam. Yeah, imagine that. They got less then Spain in terms of Iraq contracts, yet they still extended their mission. Boy, they must be really stupid. My impression is that Poles have now started to take Uncle Sam's protection for granted And we can't have that, can we? Be sure to do your damndest to fix this. Read up on Kosciuszko, while you're at it, 'brother'. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2005-12-27 16:55 |
| #2 Article: However, some in Poland have complained that they have not seen sufficient rewards -- for example, easier access to U.S. visas or more contracts for Polish companies in the rebuilding of Iraq. There is a a breed of internationalists that likes to think of our alliances as a kind of "Band of Brothers" arrangement. The reality is a lot more prosaic. The Poles were in it partially to cement an American military commitment to Poland in the event the Russians get frisky again, and partially for goodies from Uncle Sam. My impression is that Poles have now started to take Uncle Sam's protection for granted, much like most of our other "allies". |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-12-27 15:43 |
| #1 Keep ever in mind that they are doing exactly what they said that they would do from the beginning. Only Spain left early. All of our other allies have stayed as long or longer than they said they would. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2005-12-27 15:34 |