Associated Press accuse Polish troops of bullying Iraqi prisoners

AP, the American press agency, has claimed that Polish soldiers mistreated prisoners in Iraq. The agency invoked the U.S. army report concerning the abuses of the Iraqi prisoners. The news was also broadcast by al Jazeera television, which is the main source of information for millions of Iraqis. Both Polish army and the U.S. government deny the revelations, but the reports are likely to harm the reputation of Polish soldiers. In Poland, the Sejm and the President demanded that Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdziński clarify the matter. According to Mieczysław Bieniek, the head of the multinational division, Polish prisons in Iraq meet all the required standards and that the harassment of prisoners was out of the question. (Gazeta Wyborcza, May 29-30, pp. 1,6) A.F.