Winding up in Iraq?
Poland will withdraw its troops from Iraq in 2006 but it may move the deadline for withdrawal from January to mid-year, Polish Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski informed today.
According to Sikorski, the security situation in Iraq's south-central province overseen by Polish soldiers has improved sufficiently to hand over to Iraqi forces. Poland contributed an initial force of 2,500 to the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and the leftist government unseated in elections in September had planned to withdraw the remaining 1,400 troops by the end of January. Sikorski confirmed that his right-wing government would decide by mid-December whether to keep the deadline or have some 900 troops stay another six months.