Polish troops take over control in four provinces in Iraq today

Today Polish troops officially take command over the South-Central stabilization zone in Iraq. "We are very well prepared and have received good opinions from American officers," General Andrzej Tyszkiewicz, the head of the multinational division announced yesterday. Besides Tyszkiewicz, Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdziński, as well as the Commanding Officer of the coalition forces in Iraq, Ricardo Sanchez, and James Conway, who is currently responsible for the zone, will take part in the ceremony of handling over of power. Poland was to take control over all five provinces in the zone today, however, as reported earlier, the province around the city of Najaf will remain in Americans hands. According to General Tyszkiewicz the key to the success of the mission is to solve the problems of lack of power, oil, water and gas. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 8)