Special attention was paid to Poland today. The President had some good comments about Poland and Europe just before he left for Krakow and beyond.
In an interview with TVP Poland at the White House May 29, President Bush expressed a "special fondness" for Poland and said he was "absolutely sure" he made the right decision in asking Poland to run one of the zones in post-war Iraq."I think it's very important for the Polish people to understand how deeply Americans appreciate their sacrifice and their courage and their willingness to work with us in Iraq and in Afghanistan," Bush said, citing his message of thanks as one reason for his visit to Poland.
Asked about criticism by some European countries toward Poland because of its support for the campaign against Saddam Hussein's regime, Bush replied that he thinks it "unfortunate that some of the countries in Europe will try to bully Poland for standing up for what ... [it thinks] is right."
"The critics need to watch very carefully what's happening," he said. "NATO is going to support the Polish efforts inside of Iraq. Poland will not be alone."
But Bush also said that during his trip he was going to "remind the countries of Europe that we must work together."
"We don't need divides between us. We need to work together to achieve big objectives, which is to fight terror, to fight global poverty, to fight AIDS and to promote freedom," he said.
Asked about the possibility of American military bases in Poland, Bush replied that the United States is "looking at all the options."
"I make no promises, but we will remember who our friends are. And the
Polish people have been strong friends of the United States."
via the State Department's Washington File; includes full transcript.
Posted by Alan at May 30, 2003 07:49 PM