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2003-05-05 Europe

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Posted by Steve 2003-05-05 08:28 am|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Good move, having the Poles mainly working with the Kurds. For the Poles, this means a prestige job working with a mostly cooperative native population already possessing some experience in self-rule and self-policing, and needing the sort of self training, development, and discipline that the Poles had to go through themselves when they got free of the USSR. Their troops will get some more training and practice working in cooperation with American Air Forces, which will be a plus in the future.

From the Kurd point of view, they get the protection from the Coalition without the baggage of having "Yankee Imperialist soldiers" on the ground. Instead, they're from a nation that itself knew what it was like to be under foreign domination and with little respect.

A rare, ideal match: I expect the officers from all sides to be swapping war stories and crying about past atrocities into their beers after hours, as well as encouraging each other on the future.

Posted by Ptah 2003-05-05 11:15:27|| [www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2003-05-05 11:15:27|| Front Page Top

#2 What a great stroke of strategy. Involve the Poles in nation building and send a message to the Eastern European countries that we (the U.S.A.) want you involved. What a contrast to France's marginalization of these coutries. Also, what a great rebuke to the Pope's instransigence on the war. (As a Roman Catholic, I won't soon forget the Vatican's stance on this war and its comments about President Bush.)

Posted by ColoradoConservative 2003-05-05 11:32:11|| 2003-05-05 11:32:11|| Front Page Top

#3 Kwasniewski was caught on videotape making fun of the pope, but he was still re-elected. This tells you something about the Poles' relationship with the pope: "we love you dearly but when it comes to creating jobs, we have more faith in the government".

I see another spin on this issue: the US' willingness to take on the tougher jobs and let its smaller allies still in on the action. There's something to be said for taking the bulk of the risk, while protecting your friends at the same time. Mind you, the greater the risk, the greater the reward (and I don't mean the oil, you leftist goon).

Posted by RW 2003-05-05 12:13:06|| 2003-05-05 12:13:06|| Front Page Top

#4 I have such high respect for the Poles going back to the days of Walesa and Solidarity. And let us not forget that the brave but overmatched Poles battled the Nazis with antiquated artillery and horses while the Vichy France laid out their best china for Hitler.

Posted by ColoradoConservative 2003-05-05 13:03:27|| 2003-05-05 13:03:27|| Front Page Top

#5 And also flying in the Battle of Britain...

Posted by Fred 2003-05-05 13:53:42|| 2003-05-05 13:53:42|| Front Page Top

#6 And also involved in the Normandy campaign ...

Posted by A 2003-05-05 15:54:49|| 2003-05-05 15:54:49|| Front Page Top

#7 ...also in Operation Market Garden at Arnhem and the Italian Campaign in WWII.

Posted by tu3031 2003-05-05 16:06:47|| 2003-05-05 16:06:47|| Front Page Top

#8 The Deutsche Welle has some interesting insight about Poland and Iraq

"Though the high-profile role allotted Poland might appear to some as simple quid pro quo for Warsawâs largely unconditional support for the United States before and during the war, Washington is also making use of extensive Polish ties to Iraq that have been built up over decades.
For the past 12 years, Poland has represented U.S. interests at its embassy in Baghdad after America closed its own diplomatic representation down during the 1991 Gulf War.
Warsawâs own ties with Iraq have been strong ever since the 1970s. It was then that around 80,000 Poles worked in Iraq as engineers, doctors and oil industry technicians. At the same time much of Iraqâs elite went to Poland to study, meaning that quite a few Iraqis speak Polish."

You might be interested to know that Poland is pushing for a joint Polish-Danish-German role in Iraq. This does make sense as the three countries already have a joint corps under NATO command.

This could be an interesting development. While Poland is certainly proud of its new role in the world it doesn't want to put off Germany, its most important neighbor and trading partner. The Germans could actually participate under NATO command (same as in Kosovo). Mr Struck, German defense minister, met Rumsfeld today in Washington. I guess these things were discussed there.
If the Germans come on board again this would certainly piss of France even more. And it would strengthen German ties with Eastern Europe. This should be very well in the interest of the United States because it would weaken the new Franco-German alliance quite a bit. And the French would learn that Germany will always have more options than they have.

Posted by True German Ally 2003-05-05 16:30:07|| 2003-05-05 16:30:07|| Front Page Top

#9 TGA: Excellent and informative linked material and analysis. Thanks.

Posted by ColoradoConservative 2003-05-05 16:43:24|| 2003-05-05 16:43:24|| Front Page Top

#10 What do you think the Turks are making of all of this? Does it ease pressures there to have the imperialist Yankees off of their border, or does it make things worse having Polish special forces who might be less willing to put down the rowdy Kurds when they talk about Kurdistan.

Posted by ruprecht 2003-05-05 16:59:28|| [www.ruprechtschwarz.com] 2003-05-05 16:59:28|| Front Page Top

#11 ...also in Operation Market Garden at Arnhem and the Italian Campaign in WWII
...and also Haiti in 1994, though I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

What do you think the Turks are making of all of this?
The last encounter between the Poles & Turks didn't end too well for the Turks as they were routed from the gates of Vienna by the Polish king Jan Sobieski in the 1600s (1683?). Coincidentally this was supposed to be the last Crusade against the Jihadic army lead by Kara Mustafa.

Posted by RW 2003-05-05 18:34:03|| 2003-05-05 18:34:03|| Front Page Top

#12 The Siege of Vienna was won by Jan Sobieski on September 12th, by our calendar. Moving between our calendar and the Islamic lunar calendar, that could also be our September 11th (there are two different methods used to calculate).
That battle is considered to be the beginning of the end of the Ottoman Empire.
It was 1683, btw, your memory is fine.

Posted by Kathy K 2003-05-05 20:55:48|| [site-essential.com/] 2003-05-05 20:55:48|| Front Page Top

#13 The Poles have been resisting the expansion of Islam for a very long time.

Posted by Tresho 2003-05-05 22:50:25|| 2003-05-05 22:50:25|| Front Page Top

#14 I like the idea of Polish-Danish-German role in Iraq. Germany is clearly trying to make amends and this would be a fine way to get back on board.

There's no room on the train for the French, but I'm willing to let bygones-be-bygones with the Germans, since they didn't work to screw us over with the relish the French did.

Posted by R. McLeod 2003-05-06 03:33:33|| 2003-05-06 03:33:33|| Front Page Top

#15 The Poles also stopped the Cossack armies and put a serious hurt on Mongol Expansion.

Posted by raptor 2003-05-06 06:56:07|| 2003-05-06 06:56:07|| Front Page Top

#16 Gen Tadeusz Kosciusko, US Revolutionary War ... Warsaw Ghetto ... defense of Vienna, 1529 ... cracking the German Enigma machine, 1938 ... they've been on our side a lot longer than some supposed 'allies.'

Posted by Sofia 2003-05-07 09:34:30|| 2003-05-07 09:34:30|| Front Page Top

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