Belka fails to convince President Bush to lift visas for Poles

Prime Minister Marek Belka met on Monday with American President George W. Bush, after an earlier meeting with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Belka, in accordance with earlier announcements, argued the case for handing over more military power to the Iraqi government. Belka said after the meeting with Rumsfeld that the Polish division in Iraq will be cooperating with Iraqi defense force in a much closer way. He added that he did not talk about reducing the Polish military presence in the country, but admitted that Poland would like to withdraw some of its soldiers in 2005. The talks with the US president dispelled any hopes for annulling visas for Poles traveling to USA, but the conditions might be slightly improved. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A5) M.M.