Posted on 03/26/2003 9:38:34 AM PST by knighthawk
WARSAW - In the past two weeks I've been to three different western European capitals -- London, Paris and Berlin. Everywhere the talk was of war, everywhere the Americans were being berated for "aggression" and "warmongering" and the "potential murder of civilians," everywhere mass demonstrations loomed.
As such it was something of a relief to return to the calm of Warsaw. When I got back last weekend, as 50,000 marched in Berlin, fewer than 300 demonstrators huddled outside the U.S. Embassy for a while before drifting quietly home. The only Warsawian I saw approaching the embassy today was a woman with a bunch of flowers. "I just want their prisoners of war to know that we are thinking of them," she said.
Poland has thrown its hat into the ring in support of the United States. It is not warmongering -- this part of the world has seen too much war ever to welcome it -- but there is a strong sense that Poland must support the Americans in their efforts to rid the world of a brutal dictator. Poland recently sent 200 soldiers to Iraq, including highly trained special GROM forces, the equivalent of the British SAS and SBS. So far they have been active around Umm Qasr and are working to prevent war saboteurs from blowing up oil installations on the coast. I know this because the exploits of GROM are being followed obsessively by the local media. There was practically a national celebration when Donald Rumsfeld singled Poland out at a news briefing, saying the United States was "especially grateful for the involvement of the armed forces of Great Britain, Australia and Poland." When Major-General Victor Renuart announced Monday that the GROM forces in the Gulf had been "very active and excellent," it too made national headlines. As of this evening both statements are being repeated hourly on the news, and run without pause on Polish rolling news bars. The pride is palpable.
The media attention on GROM involvement has become so intense it is actually causing problems for the military -- a recent photograph of Navy Seals and GROM forces holding a huge American flag was featured in all Polish newspapers and news broadcasts, prompting an annoyed Ministry of Defence spokesman to protest that it is is supposed to be a "specjalna" force not a "medialna" one -- a special force, not just media fodder.
The support for the boys in GROM is reflected in the general coverage of the war. Polish news is unwavering in its support of the progress of the troops. Local commentators constantly emphasize that the United States is making a conscious decision to run a humanitarian campaign to avoid both Iraqi civilian casualties and casualties among their own troops. There is respect for the way the Americans are fighting, a sense that they are doing a difficult job while trying to cause the least "collateral damage" possible.
By taking this line the Poles have a lot to lose. Whatever happens in Iraq they risk increased isolation from the central powers of the European Union. Germany and France still control "old" Europe and Jacques Chirac is now threatening to hold a referendum on EU membership of the 10 member-elect countries, a vote that would inevitably bar their entry in 2004. A Parisian told me last week that "if the Poles continue to be so pro-American they should not be in Europe," an attitude I heard repeated in Berlin last week.
Even so, Poles believe it is worth supporting the United States whatever the consequences. Yesterday at Warsaw University I asked a local student why Poland was so supportive of the United States. "Which other country is going to spend US$340-billion on defence every year -- Europe? France? Never!" he said. "Every time something serious happens in the world the United States is expected to sort it out." As ever, I was mistaken for an American, but when I told him I was, in fact, Canadian his tone changed. "Your country can afford to be anti-war -- you are right next to the U.S." he said. "I really don't understand Canada," he continued. "I wish we could cut Poland off the map and put it where you live. Canadians are spoilt. It is the luckiest country in the world." As seen from Warsaw at the moment, it's hard to disagree.
Alexandra Richie is the author of Faust's Metropolis: A History of Berlin.
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
Ping for moving our troops and bases out of Germany and Belgium and into Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Poland has 40M people. France has 60M. Of the 60M, only about 52M are actually French.
Of the 52M French population, less than 10% are under 14. About 20% of Poles are under 14.
At current rates of growth, Poland's nonimmigrant workforce will be equal to France's in about 10-15 years.
Poland's economy is liberalizing and growing while France's is stultifying and slowing.
Poland's economy was one-tenth the size of France's in 1993. It is now one-third the size of France's. As France's population ages the taxes needed to support them will crush the French economy.
In the long run, the EU needs Poland a lot more than Poland needs the EU.
Amazing how suffering under a tyrant changes the attitude.
Our "peacenicks" have become too arrogant!
Seconded!
Cut that Socialist Hellhole Province Quebec and all it's evil Frog ilk out, and swap Poland with them!
Only when you have lived without freedom do you appreciate those who DEFEND freedom! FUQuebecK!!!
Embarrassingly WRONG.
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