Iraq: Poles waver

The Australian ^ | April 23, 2004 | The Australian

[churchillbuff]

US losing face as Poles waver From agency correspondents in Washington and Baghdad April 23, 2004 PENTAGON chiefs are drawing up emergency plans for more troops and money in Iraq as the US-led coalition continues to splinter in the face of insurgent violence.

Poland sent mixed signals about its troop commitment yesterday after the Dominican Republic followed Spain and Honduras in announcing that it would withdraw its troops from the country.

Wednesday's co-ordinated car bombings in the southern city of Basra rocked the coalition because the British-controlled south had been an area of relative calm.

The toll from the attack rose from 68 to 73, including at least 20 schoolchildren, yesterday after five of the wounded died. Some coalition officials said the attacks bore the hallmarks of al-Qa'ida.

"This is a serious situation," General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the US Congress yesterday. "We're at war. We have a lot at stake against these extremists in Iraq."

General Myers gave one of the most candid official assessments yet of events in Iraq, marking a further turn from the Bush administration's stance that a smaller US force coupled with Iraqi security forces could secure the country.

He said General John Abizaid, commander of US forces in Iraq, was assessing what additional forces might be needed on top of the 135,000 US troops already there.

US troops this month have endured the worst casualties of the year-old campaign, with 100 killed. More than 700 have died since the war began.

General Myers also revealed that the cost of the war had increased to $US4.7 billion ($6.44 billion) a month.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said last night he expected the UN Security Council to approve a new resolution for Iraq in May.

The surge in violence has come at a political cost to the Bush administration, with hawkish Republicans calling for the head of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

One influential Republican senator has even urged the White House to consider reinstating the draft.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice have spent the past two days phoning coalition partners to check their commitment. Britain, Poland, Japan, Italy and Portugal all remained strong, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

But there is doubt about Poland's commitment after Leszek Miller, the outgoing Prime Minister, suggested the Government was having second thoughts. "We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Spain and others are leaving Iraq," he said.

Honduras, with 360 troops, and the Dominican Republic, with 300, exploited Spain's decision to withdraw its 1300 troops to make their own moves. Both Britain and Australia, with 7500 and 800 troops in Iraq respectively, have vowed to stay the course - but have not offered more personnel.

As a result the Pentagon is drawing up contingency plans to either maintain US forces in Iraq at 135,000 or to increase numbers over the northern summer. Many families are unhappy that 20,000 troops due home this month have had duties extended by 90 days.

But US President George W.Bush said yesterday: "The Iraqi people are looking at America and saying are we going to cut and run again? We're not going to cut and run if I'm in the Oval Office. We will do our job,"

[Bigg Red]

Bush:".. We're not going to cut and run if I'm in the Oval Office. We will do our job,"

***

Go get 'em, W!

[Republican Red]

I am really confussed. Are they staying or going?

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20040422-075108-2853r.htm

Poland pledges to stay on in Iraq

Warsaw , Apr. 22 (UPI) -- Poland's Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said Thursday Polish forces would remain in Iraq at least until free elections can be held next year.

Poland, a staunch ally of the United States, heads a multi-national force of some 9,500 troops, including around 2,500 of its own soldiers.

The news will come as a reassurance to the Bush administration following announcements by Spain, Honduras and the Dominican Republic that they intend to withdraw their forces.

The U.S.-led administration in Iraq hopes elections can be held in early 2005.

[Nonstatist]

with hawkish Republicans calling for the head of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. One influential Republican senator has even urged the White House to consider reinstating the draft

Which hawkish Republican would that be? And who said Hegel was influential?

[Redbob]

I feel like there's a Polish joke in here somewhere, just waiting to be set free!

[kaiser80]

Do I really have to read the same BS every day? Why in the polish media our "waving" is not an issue, everybody is convinced that we are going to stay as long as necessary and in the US everybody seems to be in panic as far as the commitmnet of the multinational forces are concerned? Answer that question (it's easy) and you shall understand. Poland has never failed it's allies!!!!

[ZULU]

Rumsfeld did a good job up til recently and he can correct the situation if given support.

In war, there are few certainties. We did an excellant job of destroying Saddam's Military machine and capturing his chief henchmen.

We failed to comprehend the incomprehensible - the ingratitude of a people freed from a brutal dictator. The Iraqi people are reminiscent of the genie in the bottle in the Arabian Knights - the one who had sworn to take revenge for his years of captivity on the first rescuer who frees him from his prison.

We have now to switch from "good-guy we want to be your pal" mode to the role of a military occupier determined to crush any opposition while rewarding those who assist us. The Iranians and Syrians - and others - are actively working to undermine our position in a strategic spot where we can do THEM the most harm. That's what this is all about in a nutshell. The Iraqi ingrates are merely ignorant tools.

[fhlh]

anyone else find it amusing that the media has started to refer to the those leaving IRAQ as part of a coalition? I thought we went to war in IRAQ all by our lonesome?

[Threepwood]

I think it's more a case of the US military moving outside of it's core competencies. Combined arms is what it is designed to do, and it does it really well. Fighting against a back of crazy no-hopers in a perimeter sh*t-heap like Iraq? With a population as backward as Iraq's? No way!

What I think should be done is declare victory, and bugger off. There is no more dicator, the WMD infrastructure is all broken up, and the other regional dicators know Uncle Sam can come for them anytime it likes. That's a good day's work!

Perhaps it's time to partition Iraq into several states. If our goal is to fight terrorism setting up a Shia state in the Arabian middle east is good start. Most people don't seem to understand that there a variety of types of Islam, and that they hate each other like posion. A big state removed from the glorious Sunni "umma"? You know that's going to attract regional terrorists like poop attracts flies.

For example,Bin Ladin's last message moaned about the "black nights" they would have eradicating the Shia muslims after they get done with us and Israelis. Well fine! Hand the keys to Mullah Sistani and wander off. Let the Sunni Islamists confront a big, relatively rich Shia state in the middle of Arabia. The Sunnis in Iraq would be out of luck, but they've had a good 35 year run of things and had no problem getting all the goodies from holding down the Shias and Kurds.

I'm sure the situation in Faluja would be a lot more interesting if instead of Marines surrounding the city it was a horde of revenge-fueled Shia's wearing their burial shrouds and waving automatic rifles!

For karma's sake, set the Kurds (who are actually a really decent group of folks all things considered) up in a state that will be the envy of Middle East. They've already got a pretty good thing going in Northern Iraq, and they are pretty friendly all things considered. Why not?

[monday]

"Which hawkish Republican would that be?"

That retard, Kristol.

[monday]

"We failed to comprehend the incomprehensible - the ingratitude of a people freed from a brutal dictator. "

Iraqi's don't want freedom and democracy. They want Islamic law, and an Islamic state. America not only stands in their way, but represents everything they hate. Not only was their ingratitude comprehensible, it was virtually guaranteed. If you think Iraqi's deserve any better than Saddam Hussien you are delusional.

[oceanview]

don't over-react. there are an estimated 50-80,000 gang members in Los Angeles. that far excedde the number of fighter in Fallujah, and all of Sadr's militiamen. And that's just one US city.

Iraq isn't going to be some pacifist nation with everyone running around singing kumbaya. Our own country isn't. We'll meet these challenges.

Losing the Poles would be very bad, they have been an important fighting force over there.

[oceanview]

you are watching too much CNN.

If the majority, or even a significant minority, of the country's 26 million people were on the side of the Sadr militia or the holdouts in Fallujah - you'd see a real uprising in Iraq, with 100s of thousand or millions of people in the streets. Our military would be overwhelemed, That is not happening, even though the media is trying to tell you otherwise.

[Nebr FAL owner]

More importantly who claimed Chuck Hagel was a Republican?

[Tommyjo]

"anyone else find it amusing that the media has started to refer to the those leaving IRAQ as part of a coalition? I thought we went to war in IRAQ all by our lonesome?"

The UK, Poland and Australia were involved in combat operations from the early stages agains Iraq. A whole plethora of countries provided support, such as bases and overflight rights, without which the operation couldn't have been completed.

[TaxRelief]

Update once again on Poland supposed decision to withdraw its troops – It is total nonsense

by FReeper bogdanPolska12

[Austin Willard Wright]

You seem surprised that the Iraqis "turned on us." It was only natural. Freeper critics of the war predicted this long ago but few were inclined to listen. Now.....those who refused to listen want to adopt a futile scortched early policy.

[Austin Willard Wright]

That's scortched earth.

[PISANO]

I fail to see how EVERYONE in the news media miss or avoid the fact that the BUSH administration has always said that the GENERALS are running the war and if/when they request MORE troops HE will make sure they have them.

I have noticed here and elsewhere in the news/media it is being portrayed as a SHIFT of the Generals position towards the BUSH administration policies. Journalists are so damn lazy and their pre-judged opinions permeate their work.

[TomasUSMC]

The Poles are wavering and rightly so. They see US fighting like a bunch of pansies. They see 4 Americans roasted and hung and mutilated in Fallujah and they see US sitting on our butts outside Fallujah, FOR THREE WEEKS.

MEANTIME the enemy is getting better armament. They are now using rockets with a 10 mile accurate range. "Elsewhere, five U.S. soldiers were killed and six wounded Saturday morning in a rocket attack north of Baghdad, a senior coalition official told CNN.

This is what is awaiting us. No enemy casualties. 5 dead Americans and 6 more wounded. Why?

We need to wage all out war before it is waged on US.