Although small in number, Polish troop likely to play greater role in Iraq

IAR unofficially learned that Polish officers might be in charge of stabili zation forces in one of the four zones, which are to be created by the Amer icans after the war in Iraq formally ends. They might also become members of the temporary government in that country. Allegedly, the American Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld proposed it. Polish Defense Ministry spokesman E ugeniusz Mleczak refused to comment on the news as, "It is too early to dis cuss this issue." He added that Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdziński would be travelling to the U.S. in May and would discuss all the issues. Mleczak only confirmed that Poland was the only country asked by the American forces to participate in the stabilization force. Foreign Affairs Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz announced in Athens that Poland might send a few hundred additi onal soldiers, policemen or other forces to Iraq, but added it lacks money to do this. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 8; www.polskieradio.pl) M.M.