Poland rethinks Iraq

2004-03-19 12:56

Warsaw, Poland - President Aleksander Kwasniewski, a key US ally in Iraq, said on Thursday that Poland was "misled" about whether Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction and was considering withdrawing its troops from Iraq several months earlier than envisaged.

Kwasniewski's comments were the first by a Polish leader to raise doubts about the intelligence behind the decision for going to war. But he emphasised that Poland is not about to abandon its mission in Iraq.

Speaking to a group of French reporters on Thursday, Kwasniewski said Iraq was a better place without Saddam.

"But naturally I also feel uncomfortable due to the fact that we were misled with the information on weapons of mass destruction," he said, according to a transcript released by the presidential press office.

"This is the problem of the United States, of Britain and also of many other nations," he later told a news conference.

Poland contributed combat troops to the Iraq invasion and now commands a 9 500-strong multinational force, making it one of the staunchest US allies.

Kwasniewski's criticism of the pre-war intelligence also puts him more in line with widespread public sentiment in Western Europe, just before Poland joins the European Union on May 1.

"Poland so far lacked a necessary balance before the EU entry. It was too pro-American," said Janina Paradowska, a commentator for the Polityka weekly. "Now is the time to have better European co-operation."

In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli, reacting to reports of Kwasniewski's remarks, said Washington does not believe Poland is wavering.

But already in November, a poll found that 75% of Poles feared the country's role in Iraq would lead to a terrorist attack at home.

Another reason for Kwasniewski's blunt remarks may be Polish disappointment that wartime loyalty has not led to more Iraq reconstruction contracts and an easing of US visa requirements for Poles.

The Polish-led force in Iraq includes 1 300 troops from Spain, whose new government has said it wants to withdraw them by June 30 unless the United Nations takes control of peacekeeping.

Kwasniewski, speaking after a meeting of his top security officials to discuss Poland's response to the Madrid bombings, said he will urge Spain to reconsider its decision.

Earlier, Kwasniewski said Poland may start withdrawing its troops from Iraq early next year, months earlier than the timing previously given by Polish leaders. He cited progress toward stabilising Iraq.

"Everything suggests that pullout from Iraq may be possible after the stabilisation mission is crowned with success and, in my assessment soon, it may be the start of 2005," Kwasniewski told RMF.FM radio.

Previously, Polish leaders have said Poland may start withdrawing its 2 400 troops in south-central Iraq in mid-2005.

"We are facing the same threat as Spain," Kwasniewski said in the radio interview.

- AP