Reaction from Poland to planned takeover of control from US

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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File - Hilla, Iraq, 16 July 2003 1. Wide Camp Babylon, headquarters to Polish peacekeeping forces, and ruins of Babylon 2. Camp Babylon with US marines on patrol 3. Wide camp and ruins of Babylon Krakow, Poland - Recent 4. SOUNDBITE (English): Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Minister of National Defence in the governments of Hanna Suchocka (1992-1993) and Jerzy Buzek (1997-2000): "Over several decades, Poland (has) accumulated a considerable amount of experience in peacekeeping operations. Recently in both Kosovo and Bosnia, Poles also served and in Bosnia a Pole was Commander-in-Chief of the Polish-Nordic Brigade so I think that our experience (is) quite sufficient. Our hope (is) that everything will go well." File Hilla, Iraq - 16 July 2003 5. Pan US Marine and Polish Army camp Krakow, Poland - Recent 6. SOUNDBITE (English): Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Minister of National Defence in the governments of Hanna Suchocka (1992-1993) and Jerzy Buzek (1997-2000): "There were debates (over) should we send our units to Iraq or shouldn't we, but once the decision was taken I think that even those who were critical now think that we should all rally behind the government and make sure that our mission will be a success." File - Hilla, 16 July 2003 7. Polish soldier walking towards armoured personnel carrier (APC) 8. Polish soldier climbing into APC Krakow, Poland - Recent 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrzej Kapiszewski, chair of the Department of Middle East and Far East Studies at the Jagiellonian University: "Poland and Poles have expanded contact with Iraq. Already in 1942 the British asked the Polish military force to secure oil fields between Kirkuk and Mosul and we did it successfully. In the 1970s and 1980s thousands of Polish engineers and workers were building factories, bridges and roads in Iraq so the Poles know the Iraqis, the Iraqis know the Poles and not as an occupying or colonial power but as a nation and people ready to help them. And what also should help the Poles in their endeavours in Iraq right now is their experience in introducing democracy after living for a long period of time under a totalitarian regime." 10. Krakow street scene 11. Young couple 12. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Vox Pop: "The pros are that maybe we can participate in oil extraction and we can grow rich. And the cons are the moral ones. This war is not hundred percent fair for the people of Iraq. It's sure that not all of them want what is currently going on there." 13. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Vox Pop: "The Poles have got a bit entangled in this war. In the past, other countries didn't used to help us, they rather tried to exploit us. The war in Iraq is a different world, a different continent, a different reality. The only thing the Poles may find there are troubles." 14. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Vox Pop: "We shouldn't take only financial advantages into consideration. If Poland acts in the world trying to stabilise the situation and find solution to the current problems, the world will probably have a better opinion of us - we will be considered a civilised, decent nation." 15. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Vox Pop: "We must help each other in this world. We are one big family." File - Hilla, Iraq - 16 July 2003 16. Pull out from the Polish coat of arms to Polish soldiers working at computers 17. Polish officer 18. Polish soldier and officer walking past military vehicle STORYLINE: A formal transfer of command in central Iraq from US Marines to a Polish-led international force remains scheduled for this week, though the handover may occur later in the tense city of Najaf, Polish military officials said on Monday. Polish Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski and Paul Bremer, the US civilian chief in Iraq, are due to attend the ceremony. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/5104bc87164efbeddad08b0b494f738b Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork