Poles very critical towards mission in Iraq

[Jaga]

The mission in Iraq will soon be over, if the prime-minister and the president would agree on exact time.

There are several very critical articles about the sense of invading Iraq in the first place, about the American role and also the questions why Poland believed the US so easily.

Here are several articles which show NEW APPROACH to Polish-American relations which are not that sugar-sweet as in the past:

www.gazetawyborcza.pl/1,75248,4775693.html
Polish bilans in Iraq

www.gazetawyborcza.pl/1,75515,4772095.html
Poland needs to be able to say "no" to the US.

[Jaga]

Here are just a couple of quotes translated by me from the articles:

...When 4 years ago we joined the war Americans had three main targets for themselves and coalition forces: destructionr of the WMD, bringing the freedom to Iraqis and creation of new democratic state in Iraq. This newspaper (Gazeta Wyborcza) also believed in this plan.

Today the bilans is catastrophic: WMD were only existing in the speeches of GW Bush; instead of the freedom the intervention caused "bloody butcher stall", and democratic elections done three times did not bring any real change in Iraq.
The forces of coalition were unable to fulfill the most basic duty - the safety of the civilians.
In the result of intervention - several hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died. 100 thousands directly in the suicide attacks, assaults etc, the rest in the effect of the decay of the Iraq state, lack of the medical care, bad water.
....

we need to learn how to say "no" to America but in the same time to have close relations with America. If we would always say "yes", we will be not respected and listened.

....
There are two different political visions of the Polish president and prime-minister. According to the one "black and white vision", on one side are only bad countries like Russia and its friends, on the other the US, which is always good.
There is also a second vision - which has its holy cows: UE, NATO and US but takes into considerations the values and interests which have to be taken care of for Poland....