By Xinhua
Warsaw : The newly appointed Polish defence minister, Bogdan Klich, confirmed Saturday that Poland will end its military presence in Iraq in 2008.
The details of the withdrawal would be announced next Friday when new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk outlines his government’s policies in parliament, said Klich upon taking up his post Friday.
This marks a sharp turn from the previous government’s plan to send a new contingent of troops to Iraq in 2008.
Tusk’s Civic Platform party won last month’s snap elections, with a pledge to pull out troops from Iraq, among other things.
Poland has been seen as one of the US’ closest allies on the issue of Iraq.
Currently, it has about 900 troops deployed in the country, much less than the 2,600 troops deployed in 2003.
Last month, Polish envoy Edward Pietrzyk was badly injured and his driver killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Since 2003, 22 Polish soldiers have been killed in Iraq.