Poland Was 'misled' on Iraqi Weapons, President Says

[Anonymous]

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - President Aleksander Kwasniewski, a key Washington ally, said Thursday he may withdraw troops early from Iraq and that Poland was "misled" about the threat of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
His remarks to a small group of European reporters were his first hint of criticism about war in Iraq, where Poland currently has 2,400 troops and with the United States and Britain commands one of three sectors of the U.S.-led occupation.

"Naturally, one may protest the reasons for the war action in Iraq. I personally think that today, Iraq without Saddam Hussein is a truly better Iraq than with Saddam Hussein," Kwasniewski told the European reporters.

"But naturally I also feel uncomfortable due to the fact that we were misled with the information on weapons of mass destruction," he said, according to a transcript released by the presidential press office.

Earlier in the day, Kwasniewski said Poland may start withdrawing its troops from Iraq early next year, months earlier than the previously stated date of mid-2005. He cited progress toward stabilizing Iraq.

"Everything suggests that pullout from Iraq may be possible after the stabilization mission is crowned with success and, in my assessment soon, it may be the start of 2005," Kwasniewski told RMF-FM radio.

His comments came days after Spain's new government, taking power in the wake of Madrid bombings apparently linked to al-Qaida, said it would pull its troops from Iraq by June 30 unless the United Nations takes over.

The 9,500-strong multinational force that Poland commands in south-central Iraq includes the 1,300 Spaniards.

Kwasniewski noted that Iraq now has an interim constitution and said should soon have an interim government that will allow current forces to be replaced by peacekeepers.

He insisted that Poland's possible early withdrawal would not be prompted by fears of terror attacks or reprisals against his country for its role in Iraq.

"We are facing the same threat as Spain," Kwasniewski said, but "terrorism must be combatted, also with force."

Kwasniewski is a key European ally of President Bush, although support for the military presence in Iraq has been far from overwhelming among Poles.

A poll last week found 42 percent of adults in favor and 53 percent opposed. The CBOS survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

AP-ES-03-18-04 1321EST

[CaptinCrunch]

who wasen't misled??

[Anonymous]

Yep...another intel conspiracy theory. Sorry, can't agree with you there.

[streetsoldier]

Strange, isn't it; everyone had the same intelligence information, from Germany to Russia to France to Belize to Botswanaland, THEN...but "looky, looky here" at how many are jumping on the "misled" bandwagon NOW, in a vain attempt to (a) curry favor with the opposition within their countries, and/or (b) in an equally vain attempt to avoid a terrorist attack such as Madrid's.

More flip-flops than a Long John Silver's menu while "fresh"...

[Stephanie]

Some of the countries chose to believe the intel and others didn't.