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Poland to Cut One-Third of Its Troops in Iraq |
15 December 2004Poland's defense minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski has announced plans to cut his country's forces in Iraq by almost one third next year.
Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said the number of Polish troops remaining in Iraq in mid-February will stand at 1,700. He said another 700 will remain in Poland on standby in case of emergency.
The withdrawal is to follow Iraq's parliamentary elections.
"The presence of Polish soldiers during the election campaign and during the elections in Iraq will be maintained at the current level of 2,400...The withdrawal and the arrival of the new replacement troops will take place only during the first half of February," Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski added.
Poland is the third largest contributor of troops in Iraq after the US and UK and has about 2,400 soldiers in Iraq. Poland commands a 6,500-strong international force south of Baghdad.
Seventeen Poles (4 of them were civilians) have been killed since the Polish deployment to Iraq in August 2003. A Polish woman also spent three weeks as a hostage in Iraq before being freed in mid-November 2004.
15 December 2004
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15 December 2004
Polish in Iraq
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