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No cuts seen in Iraq multinational force at least through 2005 elect

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  • No cuts seen in Iraq multinational force at least through 2005 elect

    No cuts seen in Iraq multinational force at least through 2005 election
    by MONIKA SCISLOWSKA; Associated Press Writer

    Associated Press Worldstream
    September 3, 2004 Friday

    WARSAW, Poland -- The Polish-led multinational force in Iraq will
    remain at its current strength of 6,500 at least through elections
    planned for January, member nations agreed Friday.

    Military officials from the 16 nations also declared a readiness to
    "continue the mission on the level of 2004" after January, Gen.
    Mieczyslaw Cieniuch, the Polish army deputy chief of staff, said
    after a two-day meeting of troop contributors in Warsaw.

    "All nations participating so far in the Polish-led force have
    confirmed their willingness to continue in it until the Iraqi elections
    - at least through January," he told reporters.

    It wasn't immediately clear if the announcement signaled a reversal of
    plans by the Polish government, which has said it plans to cut troop
    numbers from 2,400 to between 1,000 and 1,500 in its next rotation,
    set for January.

    But leaders gave other indications Friday that they might keep Polish
    troop levels at 2,400 beyond January.

    Prime Minister Marek Belka told Polish radio he is considering a
    "dramatically worded" letter from the Iraqi interim Prime Minister
    Ayad Allawi asking Poland not to pull out or reduce its troop presence
    in January because of the continuing violence in Iraq.

    Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said in an interview published
    Friday in the Trybuna daily that the Polish contingent's size will
    "depend on the situation in Iraq."

    At the conference, Armenia said it would start contributing troops
    to the multinational force, with a contingent of 50 soldiers, Polish
    army spokesman Col. Zdzislaw Gnatowski said.

    The Armenian contribution will include a transport unit with drivers
    and a maintenance team, sappers and three doctors, Cieniuch said.

    Cieniuch also said Poland plans to move the force's headquarters away
    from the archaeological site of Babylon and to hand over responsibility
    of the neighboring Karbala province to U.S. forces before the end
    of January.
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