Polish govt criticised for Iraq troops decision

Politicians from the left and right today criticised new Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz’s decision to extend Poland’s military mission in Iraq.

Marcinkiewicz announced yesterday that his conservative minority government had asked President Lech Kaczynski to keep Polish troops in Iraq for another year, reversing plans by the previous government to bring them home in January.

Under the plan, Polish forces are to be reduced from nearly 1,500 to 900 in March.

But opposition leaders from across the political spectrum condemned the decision.

“This decision overstretches Poles’ patience,” former Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski was quoted as saying.

Szmajdzinski served in the previous left-wing government, which decided in 2003 to send Polish forces to Iraq.

Another former defence minister, Bronislaw Komorowski of the centre-right Civic Platform, said Poland had fulfilled its obligations in Iraq “110 per cent”.

“I find no justification for our further presence,” he said.

Roman Giertych, the leader of the nationalist League of Polish Families, called for Poland’s withdrawal and said the extension would be “a great strategic mistake”.

The left-leaning daily newspaper Trybuna said Marcinkiewicz’s Cabinet was “driven by servility toward the USA,” and warned that the decision increases threats to Poland and weakens its position in the European Union.

There was no word today on when Kaczynski would make his decision on the troop extension. However, his approval is considered a formality as the new president is politically close to the government.

AP