View from Warsaw - As

View from Warsaw - As has been noted here and elsewhere, Poland's in a strange position - they're our major ally on the continent both on the government and social level. But the majority of Poles oppose the war - even though Polish troops have been in action in Iraq.

Some interesting background in this article in the English-language edition of the Warsaw Voice.

Poland has deployed 200 troops to the scene of the conflict. The Polish contingent includes a 36-man decontamination platoon from the 4th Chemical Regiment in Brodnica, Kujawy-Pomerania province; the special commando unit GROM; and the logistic support ship Rear Admiral Xawery Czernicki, with a crew of 53...

...On March 24 the world saw photos taken by Reuters news-agency showing Polish commandos from the GROM unit after an operation in the port of Umm Qasr. According to unofficial information, GROM has prevented the destruction of oil supply installations in the port.
Col. Roman Polko, GROM commander in Iraq, has been consulting with the Polish General Staff regarding each order from U.S. commanding officers, says Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdziński. Top officials at the Polish Ministry of Defense also disclosed that there were commandos on board the Xawery Czernicki-divers from the Formoza special navy unit.

The disclosed GROM operation has raised disputes over whether Poland is in a state of war with Iraq and whether Polish involvement in the conflict should be interpreted as active participation in the war or merely as earlier announced logistic support for allied forces.

In other words, the situation isn't as simplistic as either the anti-Bush or pro-liberation people want to think it is...

Posted by Mitch at March 27, 2003 08:03 AM