Polish election foes go head-to-head over Iraq

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Polish election foes go head-to-head over Iraq

7 minutes ago

WARSAW (AFP) - Poland's main opposition leader went on the offensive Friday over the country's presence in Iraq, during a head-to-head TV debate with Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski 10 days ahead of elections.

"What gives you the right, you and your brother (President Lech Kaczynski) to extend the mission in Iraq ... to put the lives of Polish soldiers at risk?" said Donald Tusk, head of the liberal Civic Platform (PO).

Poland has been one of the closest allies of US President George W. Bush over Iraq, with Polish troops taking part in the 2003 invasion and around 900 soldiers still present 200 kilometres (120 miles) southeast of Baghdad.

Twenty-one Polish soldiers have been killed in Iraq since 2003. On October 3 Poland's ambassador to Iraq Edward Pietrzyk narrowly escaped a roadside bombing that killed his bodyguard-driver.

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