"To what purpose are powers limited, and to what purpose is that limitation committed to writing,
if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803

Going Wobbly

by Lee

It looks like Poland has learned the lesson that the terrorists wanted from Madrid.

In a first sign of official criticism in Poland of the US-led invasion of Iraq, President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that his country had been “taken for a ride” about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in the strife-torn country.

“That they deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that’s true. We were taken for a ride,” Kwasniewski said Thursday.

This is a cover-your-ass statement designed to deflect criticism in case a bomb happens to go off in Poland.  All is not lost, however.

He argued however that it made no sense to pull US-led coalition troops out of Iraq. . . .

“What would be the point of pulling the troops if it meant a return to war, ethnic cleansing and conflict in neighboring countries,” he told a group of visiting French journalists.

“If we protest against the United States’ dominant role in world politics and we withdraw our troops knowing they will be replaced by US soldiers, what would be the point of such a move?” he questioned.

He said he was disappointed by the new Spanish government’s threat to withdraw its 1,300 soldiers.

“We cannot alter our mission to stabilize Iraq to one to destabilize the country,” he said.

“Passiveness will lead us nowhere,” he added.

So he’s trying to play to both sides of the fence.  “Well, we’re horrified that the evil Bush lied to us about Iraq.  However, we’re not going to pull out.” It’s beginning, folks.  The Poles deserve credit for sticking it out in Iraq, but how much longer do you think that support is going to last?  This is merely the first small crack in the dam.  The terrorists want to erode what lmited, tenuous support the US currently enjoys, and the Poles have stepped right up to the plate.

As Margaret Thatcher once told the first George Bush, “This is no time to go wobbly.” I think Baroness Thatcher needs to start making a few phone calls.

Update: Allow me to elaborate on one point.  The Poles are still onay in my book.  They’re being quite pragmatic and realistic about the whole Iraq issue.  For now.  I just don’t think it’s merely a coincidence that the Poles choose now to suddenly go public with their opinions over Iraq.  So for now they’re with us in Iraq and have no plans to leave.  But after a bomb goes off in Paris or Berlin or London, just how much resolve are nations like Poland actually going to show?

Update 2: Aha!

Earlier in the day, Kwasniewski said Poland may start withdrawing its troops from Iraq early next year, months earlier than the previously stated date of mid-2005. He cited progress toward stabilizing Iraq.

‘’Everything suggests that pullout from Iraq may be possible after the stabilization mission is crowned with success and, in my assessment soon, it may be the start of 2005,’’ Kwasniewski told RMF-FM radio.

Then he states the other side.

‘’We are facing the same threat as Spain,’’ Kwasniewski said, but ‘’terrorism must be combatted, also with force.’’

‘’Spain is a very important partner in Iraq and I will try to persuade my Spanish friends to continue the mission because this is our joint goal, our plan for Iraq, that should be continued,’’ he told the news conference.

“We stand by the United States, though we were misled by them.  We are committed to Iraq, even though we may pull out early.  And whether or not we pull out early, we are going to ask Spain to reconsider.  Of course, it is much more important to us to maintain fidelity among EU nations, so we may end up pulling out and leaving the US to blow in the wind, anyway.”

The Poles are with us now.  Anyone want to take bets on six months from now?

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