maandag, maart 24, 2003
Er zijn nog meer landen dan Nederland die niet openlijk, maar in de praktijk wel degelijk meedoen in de oorlog. Dat blijkt pas als er een militair in beeld verschijnt. Oops!
Poland admitted on Monday that its elite commando unit had taken part in the U.S.-led attack on Iraq after the soldiers posed for Reuters news photographer Desmond Boylan. The Defense Ministry had denied that special forces were involved in combat, but on Monday it confirmed their participation after dailies splashed photographs of the soldiers in the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, where U.S.-led troops are battling pockets of Iraqi resistance. Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski refused, however, to give details of the troops' role in supporting the main U.S.-British force fighting to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "This is secret," he added.
Poland sent 200 troops to the Gulf in what they originally said was a supporting, non-combat, role. The Reuters photographs showed masked Polish soldiers taking prisoners, scrawling graffiti on a portrait of Saddam and posing with U.S. Navy Seals holding up a U.S. flag. "These photos shouldn't have happened," said Szmajdzinski. "The next time it will definitely be with the Polish flag."
Surveys show that most people in this east European country of 38 million do not want Polish troops to take active part in fighting in Iraq, although a majority backs an auxiliary role. Szmajdzinski denied the government had failed to tell the nation that Polish troops would take part in combat.
Bron: Reuters.
Poland admitted on Monday that its elite commando unit had taken part in the U.S.-led attack on Iraq after the soldiers posed for Reuters news photographer Desmond Boylan. The Defense Ministry had denied that special forces were involved in combat, but on Monday it confirmed their participation after dailies splashed photographs of the soldiers in the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, where U.S.-led troops are battling pockets of Iraqi resistance. Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski refused, however, to give details of the troops' role in supporting the main U.S.-British force fighting to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "This is secret," he added.
Poland sent 200 troops to the Gulf in what they originally said was a supporting, non-combat, role. The Reuters photographs showed masked Polish soldiers taking prisoners, scrawling graffiti on a portrait of Saddam and posing with U.S. Navy Seals holding up a U.S. flag. "These photos shouldn't have happened," said Szmajdzinski. "The next time it will definitely be with the Polish flag."
Surveys show that most people in this east European country of 38 million do not want Polish troops to take active part in fighting in Iraq, although a majority backs an auxiliary role. Szmajdzinski denied the government had failed to tell the nation that Polish troops would take part in combat.
Bron: Reuters.
# posted by Jan-Edward : 20:44
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