Bush invites Poland to Iraq conference

The Jerusalem Post ^ | April 11, 2003 | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

US President George W. Bush has invited Poland, a staunch ally in the Iraq war, to help organize a "rolling dialogue" planned for next week on the future of the country, an aide to the Polish president said Friday.

Bush made the invitation to Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski by telephone Thursday, said Marek Siwiec, Kwasniewski's top security aide. Speaking on Polish state radio, Siwiec quoted Bush as saying that "we are inviting you because we have confidence in you."

Poland contributed about 200 troops, including 56 members of its elite GROM commando, a logistics vessel and anti-chemical warfare unit to support the US-led intervention.

On Thursday, US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the Bush administration is planning a "rolling dialogue" next week to discuss a government for Iraq in discussions with local assemblies in different parts of the country that will include Iraqi notables or potential leaders.

Gen. Tommy Franks, who is running the war, will host the meetings. They are being organized together with Britain, Australia and Poland, which have troops on the ground. They are expected to expand later to involve more countries, Siwiec said.

The United Nations and other countries that backed the US-led military intervention are being invited to attend as observers.

A statement from Kwasniewski's office said the president stressed to Bush the readiness of Poland -- and Polish companies -- to contribute to Iraq's stabilization and reconstruction. He added that his country has "thousands of specialists who have experience from having worked in Iraq and in the region."

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Polish companies constructed roads and industrial plants in Iraq, while Poland hosted thousands of Iraqi students.

Bush thanked Kwasniewski for "Poland's political support ... and for participation, competence and efficiency of its troops in military operations in Iraq," the statement added.

[mattdono]

Interesting about the derivation of the Polish jokes. And I didn't know that Copernicus was Polish...for some reason, I always thought that he was Italian (or am I getting him confused with Galileo? Hmmm...anyway...).

And so we are clear, I don't think that Polish jokes are still fashionable. In fact, I think that Poles (unjustly) served as the medium of jokes that really only pointed out asinine human behaviors, which could be (and are) exhibited by any nationality. Their bravery in WWII is known and their committment to the current action is well-noted, particularly by the people really in charge (read: NOT the French, Germans, or Russians).

[johnb838]

I use kraut and frog all the time. National Lampoon had a great ethnic profile thingy. I'll post a link in a little while.

[freedomcrusader]

They left "Miserable fat Belgian bastards" off their list (from the Monty Python sketch 'Prejudice').

[ken5050]

I, for one, can't wait to read the the Babblefish translations from Polish to Arabic.....

[lawgirl]

This is great!! It's a good sign that W can tell the difference between our allies and our EX-allies and is willing to reward those accordingly.

Oh W, please please please leave the UN out of Iraq........

[lawgirl]

With all the French jokes going on, there's no room for Polish jokes! LOL!

[dfwgator]

We are finally paying our debt to Poland for betraying them at Yalta.

[StolarStorm]

I'm polish... and an Aggie. I don't mind the jokes at all. They can be very funny.

[Hazzardgate]

"There's an old Polish proverb: when a cat comes to a mouse picnic, he's not there for the sack race."

-Banacek

[Marie Antoinette]

I'm a proud Polack too :-) Third generation American :-)

[xsmommy]

well i am 100% eastern european, but only a quarter polack, half Lithuanian and a quarter Ukrainian. i am from Pittburgh, where there are polacks galore! and my grandparents all came from the Old Country, as they called it, but i guess rummy would call it the NEW EUROPE!

[KC_for_Freedom]

I'm just saying why offend when there are other, more appropriate words, one could use. That's all.

I have been asked this by my liberal friends, the answer is something like this from Marilyn vos Savant:, Political sensitivity is when you try to conduct yourself in a manner that does not offend anyone present. Political Correctness is when you actually believe this cr*p.

Ethnic jokes are part of our culture, indeed part of all cultures, My advice. Don't let it offend you. Laugh with the rest of us, and lets kick multiculturism back and replace it with the idea that we all be judged by our actions and deeds, not the ethnic background we all have. For my part, you can let the Jewish and American Indian jokes fly.

[WorksinKOP]

I agree, as an American of both Polish and Italian heritage, I got used to ethnic jokes at a very young age.

And it is with this light-hearted sense of humor, I have long considered myself a PoLe-Wop. Doesn't bother me in the least.

[PaulJ]

Laugh with the rest of us,

Not everyone finds funny, jokes that begin: "A polack, kike, nigger, spic and dago walk into a bar...". But the one thing they do accomplish; they make it easy for us to size up the joke teller in a minute. For this, I guess, I'm grateful.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Living in an old Polack neighborhood, I really take pride in the one way to tick off one of us is to assume we are as "sensitive" and whiny as so many other nationalities/ethnicities. The term "Polack" is as impolite as we let it be, and from where I come from, we try to worry about real things. We will not become a humorless people.

I wish she'd capitalize it, however.

[xsmommy]

: p

[KC_for_Freedom]

Yup, you have me dead to rights, as have I you.

[Revolting cat!]

Wladziu says, "Dobrze!"

[dfwgator]

From the Onion...

Polish Rapper Under Fire For Use Of The Word 'Polack'

DETROIT— MC Krakow, a popular Detroit-based rapper of Polish descent, came under fire Tuesday for his use of the word 'Polack' on his new album World Warsaw III. "When MC Krakow casually uses the P-word, it dredges up decades of hurtful portrayals and cruel jokes for our people," said Sandy Serwacki, president of the Polish Anti-Defamation Society. "In just the song 'Ten-Inch Pierogie' alone, he uses the word 27 times." In an official statement, MC Krakow defended his use of the word: "When I say, 'Y'all be my Polacks,' or 'Yo, what up, Polack?,' it's my way of taking the word back. Our people need to re-claim and embrace 'Polack' with pride, just like Eminem did with the word 'faggot.'"

[Revolting cat!]

Bobby says, "Moya drough gah, ya che ko ham!"