Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "New Warsaw Express"

Poland has decided to join the United States and the United Kingdom in administrating post-war Iraq. It will also contribute about 1,500 soldiers and several hundred police officers as part of the multinational stabilization forces there. Instead of taking over Iraq.s Kurdish-dominated northern sector, as was suggested earlier, Poland has been given charge of the upper south sector, including the Muslim holy cities of Karbala and An Najaf. The zone is inhabited by 3.5 million people. According to National Security Bureau (BBN) head Marek Siwiec, Poland would not be able to administer any other sector as it lacks adequate military capacity.

The Polish government has made no secret of the fact that it also lacks the funding necessary to support such an expeditionary force. The US has pledged to cover much of the cost. Polish troops are also supposed to receive US equipment for the operation, including tropical uniforms and some 400 Humvee all-terrain vehicles.

The Polish mission in Iraq will be headed by General Andrzej Tyszkiewicz, the army.s current deputy commander.
Tyszkiewicz will command a multinational division of 7,000 to 9,000 soldiers. The exact makeup of the division will be decided in Warsaw, during a conference set to start on May 22. According to the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, in addition to the Polish troops, the division may include 2,000 British soldiers, as well as Bulgarian and Lithuanian units. They would additionally be reinforced by a team of US special forces.

TOMASZ JUREWICZ

• « poprz.
• nast. »