Monday, July 10, 2006

Finally some sanity coming out of Warsaw


An Iranian news agency reports that the Polish government thinks any US military action against Tehran is ‘unlikely’.

When the UK’s then foreign minister, Jack Straw, said in May that a US military strike against Iran would be ‘completly nuts’ many agreed with him. And then what happened to poor old Jack?

Tony Blair promptly gave him the sack.

Well, the Polish government is giving the same advice to the US – don’t even think about it.

The Iranian Fars news agency reports:

Mr. [Stanislaw] Koziej [under secretary of defense] said the experiences in Iraq, which greatly divided Europe, did not make it easy for the world to react in Iran. "I personally believe that military intervention in Iran is improbable," Mr. Koziej said. "So we should get used to the fact that we will have to deal with Iran as an established nuclear state."

Poland has been falling over itself to appear the US’s keenest ally in Europe in the ‘war on terror’ and other abstract nouns. But Iran would be a step too far for the Polish voter, who is already decidedly unimpressed with the disastrous war in Iraq. In fact, Poles were not too keen on the invasion in the first place.

Fars goes on:

In a separate interview, the undersecretary at the ministry of foreign affairs, Witold Waszczykowski, said it was vital to keep the US engaged. "We think that the American flag is waving in Warsaw above the roof of the American embassy and this is the only place you can find the American flag - it's a bizarre situation because in such a friendly country … [the US] is supposed to be much more visible," Mr. Waszczykowski said.

Mr. Koziej said public opinion in Poland did not support the country's presence in Iraq, the war having claimed the lives of at least 17 Polish soldiers.

So the US’s best friend in central Europe is gently telling Washington: ‘don’t bomb Tehran, as we will find it difficult to support you.’

Good advice, fellas. Keep it up. It might become a habit!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Poles would support and that would be expressed and could be measured by polls (of course!) any US attac on any non Christian country plus Russia or any Central American country. I sometimes see some pranks pictures or graphics showing what world supposedly looks like to an avarage American. The ones called often "the world according to Americans" or somtehing similar. Well, if we were to create a similar map showing how idiotic is polish "vision" of the world it would have for sure some evil Russians grouping throughout Asia, some even wilder and more wicked Asians inhabiting the rest of Asia (short, all dog eaters, all look alike) and barbaric Africans who are to be happy with t shirts. US could bomb some countries in Central America and find support in Poland. They are Christian true but people not to full extend, rather aiming at being Real Christians. They practice their pogan rituals along with Christian. We would find it hard to comprehend if US bombed Japan (too rich and too famous for its wealth). Don't bomb anbyody south from US!! Gee! There's just one exception that makes all above irrelevant. If they are communists US can bomb anybody.
Szczecin, Robert

~JS said...

i missed the sense of the previous comment, but then again i'm american -- no wonder!

this whole issue of bombing iran seems more media generated than actually plausible...the risk (re: bombing iran) could come from an emboldened israel...this is where usa can exert some sanity and sobriety...

sonia said...

The difference between today and 2003 (when Poland supported the Iraq invasion) is that the present right-wing government doesn't have to prove its love for America (unlike the post-Communist government, always accused - unjustly - of pro-Russian sympathies). In fact, Kaczory can play harball with Washington ('no visas - no support') and they probably will...

beatroot said...

I still can’t wait till the ‘kaczory’ become ‘lame-ducks’…it’s just a great headline.

But I am not sure about how much independence Polish governments can show from Washington. Let’s be realistic. Poland can not defend itself. The EU defense programme is just silly, so who else is there?

We also should remember that Polish governments do not represent the Polish people, foreign policy wise. Poles just don’t like these wars but the governments feel compelled to support them.

It's also interesting that the most forceful anti-war sentiments are coming from the Christian right in this country, not the vacuous liberals.

What Robert (Hi!) is saying is actually quite disturbing. And I don’t agree with the premise that Poles would support any attack on third world countries or anyone else ‘not like them’. Poles, instinctively, support the underdog. Witness the passive support of Chechnya’s gruesome struggle for independence from Russia. .

Frank Partisan said...

I have to admit, I was surprised by the tone.

Anonymous said...

FYI, Koziej has been sacked. Officially, for a different reason, of course.