Poland could leave some troops in Iraq after it pulls out its main force at the end of the year if they are needed to help train a new Iraqi army, Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said Thursday. Poland is the fourth-largest contributor of troops to the U.S.-led coalition. The country commands a multinational force of about 4,700 troops in three provinces in central Iraq. The government has said it will pull its troops out when a United Nations resolution expires at the end of the year because of its limited military resources. But if the UN prolongs its mandate or Iraqi authorities ask Poland to help train its soldiers, a scaled-down force could be sent to fulfill those missions, Szmajdzinski told Polish Public Radio. "This is a military effort we could afford," Szmajdzinski was quoted as saying by Poland's PAP news agency.
