Albania, Poland pledge to keep troops in Iraq

Xinhua ^ | 2004-12-22

[lizol]

Albania, Poland pledge to keep troops in Iraq

TIRANA, Dec. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Albania and Poland reconfirmed on Tuesday that their troops will stay in Iraq to help maintain stability in the country.

"We shall continue our contribution to assisting the country ina normal development of elections next year," said Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano when he met with his visiting Polish counterpart, Marek Belka.

Both prime ministers hoped that the situation in Iraq would calm down for the elections scheduled for Jan. 30.

"What we are doing in Iraq is not only for the sake of the Iraqi people but for the safety of the whole region and the world,as terrorism is global. Nobody can hide from terrorism and we should persecute terrorism," Belka said.

He hoped that the situation would stabilize in Iraq so that thetroops could "hand over the tasks to the Iraqi army and police we are training." Last week Warsaw said it would cut the number of its troops in Iraq from 2,400 to 1,700 in February.

A strong ally of the United States since the start of the Iraq war, Poland administers a zone south of Baghdad and is leader of amultinational force of 6,000 troops.

Meanwhile, Albania supported the US-led war in Iraq and has a small contingent of 71 troops serving alongside US forces in the town of Mosul.

[COroge08]

Well then God Bless them

[NonValueAdded]

Kochamy Polske

[AmericanChef]

Got-Yer-Head-On-Straight Alert.

[VOA]

To paraphrase the sarge (Tom Sizemore) in "Saving Pvt. Ryan" if nothing else comes out
of the sacrifices in Iraq...we found out who are friends really are.

Of course, John Forbes Kerry just sees them as the "bribed and coerced".
Now there's a guy you want covering your back when bullets and bombs are flying
(NOT!)

I'm still H-llaciously angry with France, Germany, Belgium, etc. sitting on the
sidelines while innocent Iraqi election officials are slain (execution style) in
broad daylight. That was the big front-page photo on The Los Angeles Times a few days ago.
Old Europe is not only post-modern and post-Christian...they're post-decent.

[colorado tanker]

Ping, Matt.

Poland has become a fast friend and valued ally. They know what tyranny looks like, from too much experience.

[Freebird Forever]

To all Polish and Albanian Freepers / lurkers:

We are thankful for your support & proud to have you as members of the Coalition of the Willing.

You are truly Europe's finest !!

[crail]

Now to the many people on FR constantly asking where the good Muslims are, why aren't they speaking out, why do they support Osama, here's a good story about where they are. Not only are they members of the coalition, Albania was one of only 4 countries to support the combat phase of the war. Albania is one of only 2 (polled) places on the globe (along with Kosovo) where the population consistently believes that the war in Iraq made the world safer. Not even the USA has consistency on this poll. (Although they are polled far more often, maybe not a totally fair comparison.) Albania goes to elections next year, the fact that politicians are not pulling troops shows the support that the population gives this war.

[M 91 u2 K]

Albania is an entry point for Muslim Terrorists in Europe.

[M 91 u2 K]

And the Albanians have a history of slaughtering Serb Christians.

[Lukasz]

In Balkans Christians slaughtered themselves as well.

[crail]

And being slaughtered by. When it comes to violence, the recent history of the Balkans are very equal opportunity.

[crail]

There are very few countries that are not entry points... but why enter way over in Albania when it's not that hard to enter directly into Western Europe.

[ADemocratNoMore]

During the cold war, Albania was the Eastern Bloc equivalent of North Korea. It was an economic basket case with a megalomaniacal leader who was so paranoid that there were concrete machine gun nests on every street corner to repel the invading hordes of the west. The Iron Curtain fell and today, those countries that suffered under communist tyranny make up the New Europe. The following is an excerpt of comments from Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, in a statement on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"History is old. The only new thing about history is the United States. America is the only country in the world that exports freedom. When the historical occasion has called for it, the United States of America has been willing to pay the price in order to free the oppressed, even in states that have sought its harm.

It brought freedom and democracy to Japan and Germany after defeating both in World War II. It rebuilt their societies and taught them about liberty. It helped bring down the Berlin Wall hastening the process of freedom in Central and Eastern Europe. It rarely asked anything in return.

Now the United States and its Coalition of the Willing will bring liberty to Iraq. And when the coalition of the willing completes its work, it will be time for the coalition of builders to repair, restore and rebuild Iraq under the name of freedom. We are proud to be in the company of the free."

Prime Minister Fatos Nano gets it. I was moved by truth of his remarks then, they still hold true today.

To our Polish friends, dziekuje.

[M 91 u2 K]

Dont believe the MSM and what they say about the Serbs. The Serbs were our allies and friends, while the Albanians and Muslims in Kosovo are Bin Laden sympathizers.

[Hoplite]

Strange those Bin Laden sympathizers haven't done anything about following Bin Laden's directive to attack Americans wherever they can be found then, isn't it?

An alternative hypothesis is that you're full of it, and the MSM, not to mention the NGO's, and returned servicemen who have spoke of the subject here on FR, are closer to the truth.

Hmmm.... Tough one.

[M 91 u2 K]

Albanian Christians which are 20% of the population are our allies, the Muslim population their are no friend to us.

[Hoplite]

So those 20% are riding herd on the remaining 80%?

Say something smart.

Show me you can do it.

[M 91 u2 K]

Read a History a Book.

Show me you can do it.

The Albanian Muslims have a history of being supporters of Nazis and have committed genocide against Christians, but nothing is mentioned of that in MSM. Only the Serbs are meant to look bad.

[Hoplite]

Which history book?

The ones that also mention the Chetniks fighting alongside the Germans against the Partisans or those that gloss that episode over entirely?

Guess what, sparky - the Nazis ceased being a cause for action after the Nuremburg trials. Which makes your 60 years after the fact rationalization nothing more than a sad display of how pathetic your reasoning is.

Say, did the Serbs stop and ask their Albanian victims in this last go around which 1 out of 5 of them were the Christians you referred to earlier?

Duh.