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.
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. |