Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "New Warsaw Express"

Poland Wavers on its Role in Iraq
Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka found himself at the centre of a diplomatic storm this week, after his defence secretary, Jerzy Szmajdzinski, stepped out of line and told media he would bring troops home from Iraq by the end of next year – and not, as government policy says, “once the job is done”. Belka, together with Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, was quick to deny the idea was being considered, giving interviews to most major Polish news sources, but only time will tell how much damage Szmajdzinski has done to relations with the US.
The row started when the country’s largest daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, ran a front-page interview with Szmajdzinski on Monday.
“In my opinion the deadline [for the troops’] withdrawal should be the expiry date of resolution 1546 of the United Nations Security Council,” Szmajdzinski said, adding that this suggested the end of next year as a final date.
“That does not mean that if a stabilisation mission was continued, Polish troops would be completely pulled out from Iraq. A group of officers at the headquarters, training centres, maybe a group of observers could still remain,” he added. Within minutes he had repeated the message in an interview on news channel TVN-24 and the results were making the headlines around the globe.
By late morning an evidently angry prime minister told reporters Szmajdzinski’s remarks had not been cleared with him.
Nevertheless, the fallout from the row has only served to widen discussion of when the troops should come home. Latest surveys show around three-quarters of all Poles think the country should withdraw its roughly 2,500 troops from the multinational force in charge of south-central Iraq. The Labour Union, the minority partner in the governing leftist coalition, has demanded that the government provide an initial timetable for the end of Polish military operations in Iraq, while several other political parties openly support an immediate withdrawal. To date 17 Poles have been killed in the country.
Belka and President Aleksander Kwasniewski for now firmly back the US action, saying Poland would be in as long as is necessary.
Yet Szmajdzinski is also one of the powerful regional barons in the governing Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the question now is whether his comments are a sign the party may shift its position as the situation in Iraq becomes an issue at next year’s general election.
Steven Muller

stepped out of line – committed an indiscretion, was disobedient
deadline – time limit, a date to do something by
headquarters – main military command post
cleared – checked if he agreed, asked for permission
row – controversy, disagreement
timetable – schedule, programme

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