'New Europe' Casualties in Iraq Are Self-Inflicted
Fri September 26, 2003 05:50 AM ET
By Douglas Busvine
WARSAW (Reuters) - First the good news: The nations making up the Polish-led force which has taken control of a belt of central and southern Iraq have suffered no combat casualties.
Now the bad news: Ukrainian and Bulgarian soldiers have been wounded in barrack-room shootings, Poles have been sent home for drunkenness and Bulgaria's contingent wants more danger money.
Reports reaching the home front of problems with discipline, equipment and pay are raising questions over whether America's "New Europe" allies who make up much of the 9,000-strong, 23-nation force are up to the job.
Defense officials argue that, barely a month into their mission to stabilize the mainly Shi'ite region of five million, the eastern Europeans have overcome teething troubles and are rooting out misconduct.
"There is no serious problem," Polish defense ministry spokesman Eugeniusz Mleczak said on Friday. "The fact that we are eliminating such cases shows discipline is very good."
Five soldiers from Poland's 2,300-strong contingent, based in ancient Babylon, were sent home this week for getting drunk. One had his weapon stolen.
Poland said on Thursday it would replace the force's commander, Andrzej Tyszkiewicz, but denied curtailing his tour. General Mieczyslaw Bieniek takes over in January.
CONDUCT UNBECOMING
In a more serious incident, three soldiers from Bulgaria's contingent of 500 based in Kerbala were sent home last week for "conduct non-compliant with their duties."
A military investigation found the soldiers responsible for wounding a female private. Reports blamed the shooting on alcohol, but details remain sketchy.
Commanders of the 1,600 Ukrainian troops based in Kut have launched a criminal probe into the wounding of a sergeant when a colleague picked up a rifle left lying with its safety off.
Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuck has sacked several commanders for putting 15-year-old tyres on armored personnel carriers bound for Iraq. The tyres fell apart after driving just 60 miles.
PHONING HOME
After saturation coverage of the handover of Camp Babylon by U.S. Marines to Polish command, reporting has tapered off amid a lack of hard news from the largely peaceful region.
Polish TV news has featured troops complaining they cannot phone home, and the arrival of a batch of kielbasa, the national sausage, prepared especially to keep in the desert heat.
Mleczak said the communications problems had been solved. Troops now have enough night-vision goggles and the United States is donating new bullet-proof vests to replace ones which failed to protect against being shot from behind.
Polish ranks -- who earn an extra $1,000 a month for their six-month tour -- are happy with their pay, Mleczak added.
The Bulgarians are not: Their soldiers have demanded a hike in their daily pay to $100 from $60. Despite the row, officials say the mission is going well.
"The general staff is pleased with the work of our soldiers in Iraq. They have problems like many other peacekeepers there but things are going all right," the defense ministry said.
(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper in Kiev and Anna Mudeva in Sofia)
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