Polish minister says Iraqi authorities want number of Polish troops maintained

Trybuna, Warsaw
3 Sep 04

Excerpt from an interview with Polish Defence Minister Jerzy
Szmajdzinski by Andrzej Rudnicki, entitled “Fitful sleep” published
by Polish newspaper Trybuna on 3 September

Rudnicki Do thoughts of Iraq cause you to lose any sleep?

Szmajdzinski Yes, all too often. I do not think that is a good sign.

Rudnicki One year has passed since the multinational division under
the Polish command took over the south-central sector of Iraq. Was
it worth going in there?

Szmajdzinski If we look at it in the broader perspective, I think
it was. The very difficult and risky decisions we made, counter to
what the general public said, only go to show that Poland sees its
security to be indivisible. Our involvement in missions of this sort
stems from the need to ensure international security. This stood true
50 years ago, and it stood true one year ago. Iraq is a safer place
without Saddam, but that does not mean the process that is currently
under way in that country is secure.

Rudnicki Still, the reasons for attacking Iraq have proved to be
very dubious.

Szmajdzinski The US and UK intelligence services made their
miscalculations. Saddam refused to implement more than a dozen UN
Security Council resolutions. Iraq refused to observe the principles
that we had all embraced within the UN charter. The Saddam regime
threatened the Iraqi people and the entire population of the Middle
East. On the whole, our arguments seem to stand strong.

Passage omitted .

Rudnicki You had no doubt that Polish troops were sacrificing their
lives for a just cause?

Szmajdzinski Our activity in Iraq was received with support and
gratitude. Throughout one year we implemented projects developing
the Iraqi infrastructure, health care system, and education worth a
total of 50m zlotys approx. 13.6m dollars . The international community
was split when the operation began. Today, however, it has no doubt
that the situation in Iraq must be stabilized. The process is under
way: there is a provisional Iraqi government in place and Iraq has
a president.

Prime Minister Marek Belka received a letter from his Iraqi counterpart
Iyad Allawi on Thursday 2 September . He has heard that we are
planning to reduce the number of our troops in his country. He is
asking us not to do it and prevent destabilization. President Ghazi
Mish’al Ajil al-Yawar is to visit Poland in the next few days. A
delegation of the Iraqi Defence Ministry has visited us recently,
declaring that the Iraqi authorities expect us to keep our troops
in their country and help them develop and equip their army. Despite
the risks we have taken and the lives we have lost, we are carrying
out our mission of returning Iraq back to the Iraqi people.

Rudnicki What has Poland gained after one year of involvement in
the operation?

Szmajdzinski I find it difficult to talk about this. The Polish
government did not set any conditions when it made its decision. We
are carrying out this mission to ensure security in that part of the
world in the belief that it contributes to Polish and international
security. People abroad are speaking about Poland more kindly and
warmly today, they speak of our involvement and credibility. At
least this is what I see in my international contacts. In my view,
this translates into a warmer climate surrounding Poland as a serious
participant in these events.

Rudnicki Talks on the fourth shift of the Polish contingent in Iraq
have begun at the Warsaw Citadel. Will our troops be reduced in line
with earlier announcements, or will the Polish authorities heed the
Iraqi pleas and change their stance?

Szmajdzinski Taking part in the conference are representatives of
states involved in our division and Armenia, a new partner that is to
send 50 servicemen to Iraq. No one, Poland included, will reduce their
contingents before the Iraqi elections scheduled for January. We have
also decided to hand over Babylon back to the Iraqis. The command of
the division will probably relocate to al-Kadisiyah Province. We will
pull out of Karbala. The division will be relocated to the Babil,
Wasit and al-Kadisiyah provinces.

Rudnicki Will there be fewer troops?

Szmajdzinski Maybe. We are not discussing the size of the new
contingent at this point. This depends on how the situation in Iraq
develops, how the political process proceeds, and how soon an Iraqi
army that can replace us is formed. I am a moderate optimist as far as
the next few months are concerned. Our UN mandate expires at the turn
of 2005 and 2006. This means our military mission will come to an end
then. Unless the Iraqi government wants us to leave earlier, that is.

Rudnicki Thank you for the interview.