www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/12/27/poland.troops.ap/

Thanks guys.

We appreciate the contribution!

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- The last Ukrainian and Bulgarian troops have left Iraq, and Poland plans deep cuts in its deployment next year, the countries said Tuesday, the latest of several U.S. allies to draw down force levels as public demand weighs on government leaders.

Poland's deputy defense minister said Tuesday that Poland would reduce troop levels in March, from nearly 1,500 to 900.

The announcement came after Poland's government asked President Lech Kaczynski to keep Polish troops in Iraq for another year.

There was no immediate reaction from the president, but it was widely expected that he would approve the extension, reversing the previous government's decision to bring troops home within the next few weeks.

The deployment is unpopular, and 17 Polish soldiers have died in Iraq.

Ukraine's defense ministry said Tuesday that its last troops had left Iraq, fulfilling a long-planned withdrawal pledged by President Viktor Yushchenko.

A column of eight armored personnel carriers and 44 soldiers had left the country and arrived in Kuwait, the statement said. Ukraine had kept 867 soldiers in Iraq after partial pullouts earlier this year. By Friday, all are due back in Ukraine, where the deployment has been unpopular.

"Not a single Ukrainian soldier remains on Iraqi soil," the ministry statement said, adding that some 50 Ukrainian military instructors will stay on to train Iraqi forces.

Ukraine opposed the invasion of Iraq but later contributed 1,650 troops to the U.S.-led coalition, becoming one of the largest non-NATO participants. Eighteen Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another 32 wounded.

In Bulgaria, Defense Minister Veselin Bliznakov said Tuesday that his country had completed its own military pullout from Iraq.

"The last unit of 130 servicemen has been relocated at a safe place in Kuwait since last night," Bliznakov told reporters. He said the group was expected to return to Bulgaria by the weekend.

Bulgaria began withdrawing its troops from the city of Diwaniya shortly after Iraq's Dec. 15 parliamentary elections, transferring its military responsibilities to Iraqi forces.

Bliznakov has said that Bulgaria will "most likely" continue its military involvement in Iraq next year by contributing a 120-strong non-combat unit tasked with guarding the Ashraf refugee camp.

Poland has been a U.S. ally in Iraq, sending combat troops to the country and in September 2003 taking command of an international force that currently numbers some 3,000 troops, including the Poles.

However, some in Poland have complained that they have not seen sufficient rewards -- for example, easier access to U.S. visas or more contracts for Polish companies in the rebuilding of Iraq.

In other developments, Spain's Socialist government, which vehemently opposes the war in Iraq and withdrew troops sent there by its predecessor, acknowledged that it had let a Spanish navy frigate join a U.S. battle group in the Persian Gulf.

The Spanish Defense Ministry denied a newspaper report that the frigate Alvaro de Bazan participated in combat operations during its deployment.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

What's the Polish for woot?

Quoted: What's the Polish for woot?

"Kzxcheckfk!"

I think.

It's pronounced like you're clearing your throat.

However, some in Poland have complained that they have not seen sufficient rewards -- for example, easier access to U.S. visas or more contracts for Polish companies in the rebuilding of Iraq.

An important point to be observed.

NTM

Quoted: Quoted: What's the Polish for woot? "Kzxcheckfk!" I think. It's pronounced like you're clearing your throat.

Okay.

I should know...I have a Polish aunt and know a lot of Polish people.  

Great allies and hot wimminz. What more could you ask for ?

Quoted: However, some in Poland have complained that they have not seen sufficient rewards -- for example, easier access to U.S. visas or more contracts for Polish companies in the rebuilding of Iraq. An important point to be observed. NTM

Yeah, it'd be good for us to let some other countries have a majority of the rebuilding contracts to show what we already know, that we're not in it for the money.  I'm sure the libs would just come up with some more bullshit though.

People who have suffered under the brutality of a dictator understand you can NOT negotiatiate with or appease those who use brutality as a means of control.

Unless they are collaborators, or French. But I repeat myself.

Thanks guys.

   

Quoted: In other developments, Spain's Socialist government, which vehemently opposes the war in Iraq and withdrew troops sent there by its predecessor, acknowledged that it had let a Spanish navy frigate join a U.S. battle group in the Persian Gulf.

[cough]Sink it![cough]

[cough]Spies![cough]

My son works with the Poles, he loves to see them flying cover in the Hind-d's. (kind of surreal for me as I trained to fight the Hind-d!) he says when they are overhead they will not be attacked. (convoys)

Quoted: People who have suffered under the brutality of a dictator understand you can NOT negotiatiate with or appease those who use brutality as a means of control. Unless they are collaborators, or French. But I repeat myself.

Weren't the French quite good at collaborating?  Besides, they got off light.  Hitler handled them with Kid Gloves.  

He treated the Poles just like the jews.  Work or die...

It's good to see someone remembers history and remembers their friends.  I say let them all emigrate here if they want to.  Hell we let all the ROP'ers and third world welfare cases in...

Show your appreciation and purchase Polish goods.

Google "Boleslawiec" and pottery (or try this link) and get something for the missus & support Poland. Lots of other goods too! List of Polish exporters here

Heck, you could probably pick up a new missus from Poland, one that would work, not like these American ones...

At moments like this I'm so proud my ancestors hopped on a boat from Poland to the US, yeey Poland!

I promise to stop eating polish sausage

<--------------Proud to be Polish

Quoted: People who have suffered under the brutality of a dictator understand you can NOT negotiatiate with or appease those who use brutality as a means of control. Unless they are collaborators, or French. But I repeat myself.

bwaahahhahahaha

Quoted: Weren't the French quite good at collaborating?  Besides, they got off light.  Hitler handled them with Kid Gloves.

Hitler threw the might of his war machine against the French, who lost 90k KIA in the first 6 weeks of fighting.  During this period, the French inflicted over 30k KIA on the Germans, which is fairly impressive given that the French armor divisions were completely outclassed.

We make fun of the French for surrendering, but we've cut and run on far fewer casualties.  The French were losing more troops per day than we've lost in the entire Iraq conflict, and a majority of Americans now want us out of Iraq.  It's a little naive to think that at the time of the invasion of France that untrained American troops would have held any better than the French.  At the time of the Battle of France, no army in the world could have stood up to Hitler's.

That being said, there was no shortage of collaborators in France during the occupation, with collaboration driven in part by strong anti-semitism...

"During this period, the French inflicted over 30k KIA on the Germans, which is fairly impressive given that the French armor divisions were completely outclassed."
If my memory serves me correctly, believe it or not the French had better tanks than the Germans at that point...they just didn't know how to utilize them for maximum effect.  They were still thinking WW1 tactics at that time.  

WOOTSKI!!!

I am a first generation Pole. My grandmother was born here in the USA, went back to Poland after the treaty of Versailles (sp?) reconstituted Poland. Gran got married to Pole and had 10 kids. Just before W.W.II started gran came back and was going to get her kids out, they were all us citizens. However September 1939 came and it just was not possible. Well, my mom, aunts, and uncles grow up in Poland and survive W.W.II under the Germans and the Russians. Gran finds them all again and starts getting them out. My mom got out in 1959, the year after she married. My Dad never knew she was a US citizen until the day he finds out he is married to an American! Well, I came along in 68, my brother in 66.

Surgie Polonia!

Being Polish American... this is nice to see.

Quoted: If my memory serves me correctly, believe it or not the French had better tanks than the Germans at that point...they just didn't know how to utilize them for maximum effect.  They were still thinking WW1 tactics at that time.

Yes, and no.

At the time, the French were considered to have the best tanks. They had good armour and a good gun. What the Germans tanks had that the French didn't were multiple-man-turrets, and lots of radios.

French WWI tactics actually did consider the use of massed armour. It was the underlying concept behind the FT-17 tank. Somewhere along the 1920s though, the idea lost favour and they went back to direct infantry support roles.

NTM

Cool! That means that my camp here in Iraq will around for a while longer! Majority of the troops at this camp are Polish.

From what I have read the GHROM is top notch (Polish Special Forces)

Quoted: Being Polish American... this is nice to see.

What race is that?

Quoted: Quoted: Being Polish American... this is nice to see. What race is that?

Don't mess with POLSKA, we'll kick your dupa!

Quoted: WOOTSKI!!!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Being Polish American... this is nice to see. What race is that? Don't mess with POLSKA, we'll kick your dupa!

Poland was very much an aggressor nation pre-WWII. They invaded Russia and Germany (Prussia) at one point. A couple of Nazi tanks and planes changed that for a long time.

I was simply asking what race a "Polish American" was. Being of half Polish descent I've only encountered "Polish" or "American", the latter of whom I am 100%.

Is Polish American like one of those African Americans, IE neither African nor American?

Quoted: Poland was very much an aggressor nation pre-WWII. They invaded Russia and Germany (Prussia) at one point. A couple of Nazi tanks and planes changed that for a long time.

How bout some references to back up "these" facts?

Quoted: Quoted: Poland was very much an aggressor nation pre-WWII. They invaded Russia and Germany (Prussia) at one point. A couple of Nazi tanks and planes changed that for a long time. How bout some references to back up "these" facts?

Yeah!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Being Polish American... this is nice to see. What race is that? Don't mess with POLSKA, we'll kick your dupa! Poland was very much an aggressor nation pre-WWII. They invaded Russia and Germany (Prussia) at one point. A couple of Nazi tanks and planes changed that for a long time. I was simply asking what race a "Polish American" was. Being of half Polish descent I've only encountered "Polish" or "American", the latter of whom I am 100%. Is Polish American like one of those African Americans, IE neither African nor American?

I have both Polish and American Citizenship.

That would make me a Polish-American.

It also refers to anyone who is of Polish decent and proud of it - even though they are born in America.  Polish-American, German-American, African-American, Chinese-American, etc. You can be a proud American and still be proud of your heritage.

Av.

Quoted: Poland was very much an aggressor nation pre-WWII. They invaded Russia and Germany (Prussia) at one point. A couple of Nazi tanks and planes changed that for a long time.

Poland didn't exist on the map of Europe from 1864 to 1918. Polish lands were PART of Prussia (later Germany) and Russia. There was no Poland to attack anyone.

You need to take more history lessons.

Av.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Being Polish American... this is nice to see. What race is that? Don't mess with POLSKA, we'll kick your dupa!

dupa I havent heard that word since my dad died, thanks for the memory.

I'm half Irish, half Polish, but 100% AMERICAN!!!!!

Quoted: However, some in Poland have complained that they have not seen sufficient rewards -- for example, easier access to U.S. visas or more contracts for Polish companies in the rebuilding of Iraq. An important point to be observed. NTM

It's the least we could do.