WP: Poland Links Bid For U.S. Aid to Presence in Iraq

Poland Links Bid For U.S. Aid to Presence in Iraq
Money Sought to Modernize Forces
By Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, December 10, 2005; Page A13


Poland has asked for additional U.S. military assistance to modernize its own forces as it considers whether to extend the presence of Polish troops in Iraq next year, according to Polish and U.S. officials.

Although Warsaw has stopped short of conditioning its Iraq decision on the request for aid, it has made it clear that the two are linked, saying the $600 million it has spent on the Iraq operation has siphoned funds from plans to upgrade its own military.

Radoslaw Sikorski, defense minister in Poland's new conservative government, raised the issue in a meeting here this week with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and presented other Pentagon officials with a list of desired spending options. A senior Pentagon official said on Thursday that the list is being reviewed.

The deliberations come at a time when other key partners in the U.S.-led coalition are withdrawing their forces or debating pullouts or reductions....

***

Against this shifting backdrop, Poland's aid request puts the Bush administration on the spot. A boost in U.S. military assistance that appears tied to Poland's continued involvement in Iraq could encourage other coalition partners to seek enhanced U.S. aid packages. On the other hand, shortchanging Poland risks alienating an important European ally...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/09/AR2005120901816.html

borrow more money from China in order to pay blackmail to the coalition of the willing. I do not blame Poland. They have used their resources to follow the "freedoms" line of our CIC.

Doesn't this just take the cake. We can't take care of our vets properly but we can spend money to modernize Poland's military? Make sure that the Dems on Armed Services Committee know how you feel about this!

Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Email
Carl Levin (D-MI)
202-224-6221 202-224-1388 http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA)
202-224-4543 202-224-2417 http://kennedy.senate.gov/contact.html

Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
202-224-3954 202-228-0002 http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html

Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT)
202-224-4041 202-224-9750 http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue

Jack Reed (D-RI)
202-224-4642 202-224-4680 http://reed.senate.gov/form-opinion.htm

Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
202-224-6361 202-224-2126 senator@akaka.senate.gov

Bill Nelson (D-FL)
202-224-5274 202-228-2183 http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Ben Nelson (D-NE)
202-224-6551 202-228-0012 http://bennelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Mark Dayton (D-MN)
202-224-3244 202-228-2186 http://dayton.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Evan Bayh (D-IN)
202-224-5623 202-228-1377 http://bayh.senate.gov/LegForm.htm

Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
202-224-4451 202-228-0282 http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm?subj=issue

this. Bush care's more about covering his ass in this phony "coalition" than he does about providing for our troops! It's an outrage. Outright blackmail. This cannot be approved.

Poland: "We'll keep quiet if you give us money"

As usual...

Unfortunate aspect of bribing, is that it never ends, they will always ask for more.
Poland got 6.5 billion Lockheed contract to start - before the committed troops to Iraq.
Now w. the CIA prisons locations coming to light, they belive it's opportune time to ask for more.

Armed Serices?

Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Email
John W. Warner (R-VA)
202-224-2023 202-224-6295 http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.htm

John McCain (R-AZ)
202-224-2235 202-228-2862 http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Contact.Home

James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
202-224-4721 202-228-0380 http://inhofe.senate.gov/contactus.htm

Pat Roberts (R-KS)
202-224-4774 202-224-3514 http://roberts.senate.gov/e-mail_pat.html

Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
202-224-4124 202-224-3149 http://sessions.senate.gov/email/contact.cfm

Susan Collins (R-ME)
202-224-2523 202-224-2693 http://collins.senate.gov/low/contactemail.htm

John Ensign (R-NV)
202-224-6244 202-228-2193 http://ensign.senate.gov/forms/email_form.cfm

Jim Talent (R-MO)
202-224-6154 202-228-1518 http://talent.senate.gov/Contact/default.cfm?pagemode=1

Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
202-224-3521 202-224-0103 http://chambliss.senate.gov/Contact/default.cfm?pagemode=1

Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
202-224-5972 202-224-3808 http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contactform

Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
202-224-6342 202-224-1100 http://dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.ContactForm

John Cornyn (R-TX)
202-224-2934 202-228-2856 http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact/index_1.html

John R. Thune (R-SD)
202-224-2321 202-228-5429 http://thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Email