Breaking: Poland says 20 soldiers surrounded by Iraq militants

[gp]

Poland says 20 soldiers surrounded by Iraq militants

13 Aug 2004 17:33:34 GMT
WARSAW, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A group of 20 Polish soldiers have been surrounded by several hundred militants loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr at a police station in Hilla, southern Iraq, a Polish military spokesman said on Friday.

"Our soldiers were helping the Iraqi police, when their post was surrounded. Negotiations with the militant forces are under way, but there is no shooting going on," Polish General Staff spokesman Colonel Zdzislaw Gnatowski said.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L13377381.htm

[Barrett808]

1. I thought US forces had taken over the Polish territory

Apparently Poles are still in harm's way.

[Hobarticus]

3. I thought so, too.

Must be a gradual withdrawal.

BUT, I'd bet my last pirogi that the militants capture these guys and make Poland's immediate withdrawal a condition for their release.

[Az_lefty]

9. I believe they took over the Polish mission in Najaf

this is Hilla.....

[movonne]

2. How many Polish troops are in Iraq???? This sounds like about

haft of them.

[Kellanved]

11. please

I didn't like Franken joking about Bulgarian Troops, nor did I like Moore making fun of Denmark's soldiers.
Poland has about 2400 troops in Iraq.

[IndianaGreen]

15. The deployment of troops to Iraq was not popular in Poland

Many of the governments in these countries are still behaving as satellites of the US, as they did when they were part of the Soviet sphere of influence. Their people and their troops are paying a terrible price in exchange for their membership in the outdated NATO.

[daleo]

4. Or maybe a U.S. rescue mission will be attempted

If so, "friendly fire" casualties would not surprise me.

[Hobarticus]

5. Don't count on it...

Don't expect any grand gestures to aid our comrades, now that they've announced that they're pulling out.

[mom cat]

6. Golly gee! Just like the Jessica Lynch rescue! Oh Goody Goody!

Hurl.:puke:

[Krasnaya Lastochka]

7. Why Poland even in Iraq??

Is it maybe because Kwasniewski (Polish president) is desperate to please Bush and maybe get some favors later?? This isn't Poland's war! I have some Polish in me and I hate seeing my fellow countrymen in danger in a pointless war.

[Hoping4Change]

8. Before the war I recall hearing that Poles were wanting US

bases.

[Rose Siding]

10. and planes

I think we floated them big loans for planes.

[SOS]

12. Yup

A multi-billion dollar package for Poland.
http://www.usinfo.pl/releases/docs/01_09_03.htm

[stickdog]

13. "Our soldiers were helping the Iraqi police ..."

To change a light bulb, perhaps?

[bloodyjack]

14. hehe.

I know quite a few Polish jokes myself but...er...I guess they would be considered inappropriate at a time like this? :shrug:

[bemildred]

16. If anyone cares, these guys walked away unharmed.

One report said there were 70 of them.