Poland a Strong Ally, Says Bush
17 July 2007
Polish president backs missile defense plan during White House visit
Washington – From its troop contributions to international forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to its offer to host components of a European-based missile defense system, Poland is a strong ally that shares a commitment to peace, President Bush says.
“Poland has taken some very difficult decisions to help a young democracy survive in the face of extremist threats,” Bush said in a joint White House briefing with Polish President Lech Kaczynski July 16. “And I want to thank you ... and the Polish people for supporting the people of Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Poland has contributed 1,200 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. While most are deployed in southeastern Paktika and Ghazni provinces to support security operations, Polish special forces also have played a significant role in bringing order to southern Kandahar province.
Poland also was among the first nations to join Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying 2,000 personnel in 2003. Poland currently has approximately 900 troops in the country and the contribution of those troops gratefully was acknowledged by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in a videoconference with Bush earlier in the day.
“War is never popular,” Bush said. “But having heard from the Iraqi leaders today, and their expression of gratitude not only to the Polish government, but the Polish people and the American people for supporting this democratic experiment, Mr. President, it reminds me of how important what we're doing is.”
Bush called Poland’s offer to host 10 interceptor missiles as part of a proposed ballistic missile defense system a “symbol of our desire to work for peace and security.”
Missile defense, Bush said, would protect the region from threats that “may emanate from parts of the world where leaders don't particularly care for our way of life and are in the process of trying to develop serious weapons of mass destruction.”
However, the missile defense plan has drawn strong objections from Poland’s eastern neighbor, Russia. Kaczynski reassured Russia that the program is not aimed at undermining Moscow.
“It is aimed at defense of our democracies against the countries who might have or already do have nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction,” the Polish president said. “So it is really a defense instrument.”
A transcript of remarks by Bush and Kaczynski is available on the White House Web site.
For more information, see Europe and Eurasia.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
