Polish ambassador: Europeans should remember their history

European countries which are highly critical of both the American war against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Washington's allies would do well to remember that it was the US which saved Europe from disaster at least twice in the last century, Polish Ambassador Maciej Kozlowski said on Monday.

"Europe should remember what America has done in the last 80 years, in which it twice saved Europe from calamity," Kozlowski said in an interview at the Polish Consulate in Jerusalem.

Brushing aside French President Jacques Chirac's harsh criticism of those European countries which support the war, he said that France and Germany are misreading the political situation.

"We regard the military operation under way as the international community's fulfillment and implementation of 17 past UN resolutions which were promised by Iraq and never carried out," he said. "That other countries, who backed the first Gulf War, do not view it this way is regrettable."

Arguing that America is acting on behalf of the world community, Kozlowski said: "The last 12 years, since the first Gulf War, have not been a period of peace in Iraq, but simply one of cease-fire."

In a mostly symbolic move that exemplifies the pro-American stance that Poland has taken, the Polish army sent some 200 troops including special commando forces, navy, and chemical warfare experts to buttress the primarily American and British forces. The country's small contingent of special forces, which also operated in Afghanistan, is reportedly now in action in Iraq.

Poland's and other Eastern European countries' strong backing of the US position on Iraq has led to deep rifts between them and France and Germany, who have led the international anti-war stance.

Last month, Chirac, in an unusually emotional outburst, derided the Central and Eastern European countries that have signed letters expressing their support for the American policy for being "badly brought up," and castigated them for having missed "an opportunity to keep quiet." In his comments, he suggested that siding with America and opposing France and Germany could hurt candidates for European Union membership.

With the Poles hoping to be members of the EU by next year, the timing of the spat could hardly be worse, although Kozlowski said that as far as he knows the "calendar" for Polish entry is still "on schedule."

"I hope the rift is not as deep as it seems," he said. "It is only normal that various countries in Europe have differences of opinion." Declaring that each country has deeply different historical remembrances, Kozlowski, who came to Jerusalem without a gas mask, said that Poland remembers America opposing communist and other "brutal" dictatorships.

"As such, we accepted as inevitable the war with Saddam, who by everybody's account is a brutal dictator," he said.

More recently, the Poles are also indebted to the Americans for helping transform Poland both economically and politically, Kozlowski said. France, by contrast, he said, has long had strong anti-American feelings dating back to Charles De Gaulle.

"With the French it is hardly something new," he said, "while the Germans should remember that the American army kept the Soviet army at bay and prevented them from experiencing what their eastern neighbor [Poland] experienced."

Despite the differences of opinion, he said Poland is trying to maintain the best possible relations with France during this time of tension.

Jeszcze Polska nie Zginiela

9/11/1683 - POLAND Saved Europe from Islamic JIHAD

Before they were utterly defeated by the King of Poland, Jan III Sobieski, at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, those followers of Muhammad, the Turks, had laid seige to Vienna, in their attempt to "convert" and conquer Europe.

Here was their declaration and widely published prayer (sound familiar?):

Eternal God and creator of all things, and thou O Mahomet his sacred and divine prophet. We beseech thee let us not dread the Christians, who are so mean and silly to rely on a crucified god. By the power of thy right hand, so strengthen ours that we may surround this foolish people, on every side, and utterly destroy them. At length fulfill our prayers and put these miscreants into our hands, that we may establish thy throne for ever in Mecca, and sacrifice all those enemies of our most holy religion at thy tomb. Blow us with thy mighty breath like swarms of flies into their quarters, and let the eyes of these infidels bedazelled with the lustre of our moon. Consume them with thy fiery darts, and blind them with the dust which they themselves have raised. Destroy them all in thine anger. Break all their bones in pieces, and consume the flesh and blood of those who defile thy sacrifice, and hang the sacred light of circumcision on their cross. Wash them with showers of many waters, who are so stupid to worship gods they know not: and make their Christ a son to that God who ne're begot him. Hasten therefore their destruction we humbly entreat thee, and blot out their name and religion, which they glory so much in, from off the face of the earth, that they may be no more, who condemn and mock at thy law. Amen.

And, here is an excerpt from the King of Poland's letter to his Queen, after the Battle:

.....The Rarities which were found in the Prime Vizor's Tent, were no less Numerous than Strange and Surprising, as very curious Parrots, and some Birds of Paradise, with all his Banios, and Fountains, and some Ostriches, which he Chose rather to Kill, than let 'em fall Alive into our Hands; Nay his Dispair and Jealousy transported him so far, as to Destroy his very Women for the same Reason.
The whole Army Attributes the Glory of this Victory to God, and Us, and all the Princes of the Empire, with the Great Officers, as the Dukes of Bavaria and Lorrain, Prince Waldek, etc. were so far transported with my Valour and Success, that their Thanks and Praises were more Numerous, than was their Fears before; and Count Staremberg the Governour, Saluted me with the Title of his Mighty Deliverer. The Common People in my going to and from the Churches, pay'd their Veneration even to my very Garments, and made their Cry's and Acclamations reach the Sky, of Long Live the King of Poland.....
In the battle we Lost some of our Friends, as Prince Halicki, and the Treasurer of our Household. The Reverend Marinus Daviano, heapt on me his Pray'rs and Blessings, and told me he saw a White Dove fluttering o're the Army, which he look'd upon as an happy Augure of our Victory.....
Thanks be to Heaven, now the Half-Moon Triumphs no longer o'er the Cross, And 'twas thrown down from St. Stephen's Steeple in Vienna (whom it had o'retopt so long) immediately on the Defeat: Neither have the Turks any occasion to upbraid us with their Blasphemous Mahometan Proverb: Ye Christians where is Your God?

After the Battle Jan Sobieski entered Vienna in glory. The King and his Polish army had won lots of fame after their victory. Jan III Sobieski was not only looked upon as the savior of Vienna, but as a savior of the whole of Europe from the Ottoman Turks.

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