Leading weekly probe into rifts in the military dismissed by politicians

Leading politicians are denying allegations in a article published in the Wprost weekly that eight army generals who, after being demoted to colonels, refused to obey orders and decided to conduct polls and surveys on Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski. President Aleksander Kwasniewski dismissed the news as "cheap sensationalism". Szmajdzinski considered the news as a pack of lies and as a slur upon the integrity of the army. However, Defense Deputy Minister Janusz Zemke said that although there was no "mutiny", various pathologies and "sick situations" do exist that have to be tackled. Wprost is sticking to its side of the story, claiming the article is based on the truth. Wprost deputy editor Piotr Gabryel says his weekly has "broken a taboo subject" and that his publication would contribute to healing the rifts in the armed forces. (Gazeta Wyborcza) M.T.