US diplomat suggests dismissal of Polish deputy PM over Iraq

Polish Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga is meeting with the US ambassador in Warsaw to discuss an opinion voiced by his deputy concerning criticism of Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych. The scandal broke out when leading Polish newspapers published information contained in a memorandum of a meeting of Deputy US Ambassador Kenneth Hillas with Leszek Jesien, secretary of state at the prime minister's office. During their talks, Hillas commented on deputy premier Roman Giertych's appeal for a public debate on Poland's participation in the military campaign in Iraq and the consequences of the mission on the civilian population there, which has suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties as a result of international involvement in their country. A Johns Hopkins report set this number at 650,000 victims. The memorandum mentions Hillas's remark on the proposition to the effect that... "should a deputy government head in Germany, France or Denmark make such a statement, he would be dismissed from his post." Roman Giertych reacted strongly to the words of the US deputy ambassador and labeled it direct foreign interference in the affairs of a sovereign country. Additionally, he voiced an opinion that the diplomat's statement could be proof of the attitude of the United States towards Poland. "The information coming from the memorandum might be just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe we have created a situation in which Poland has allowed the US to exercise absolute power over its foreign policy to the extent of eliminating Polish opinions and stands. Respected are only those who have respect for themselves." Professor Zbigniew Lewicki from Warsaw University, expert on US affairs and former department director at the Foreign Ministry says the US diplomat has definitely not exercised expected restraint in his opinion. And the lack of reaction on the part of both Washington and Warsaw does not pacify the situation, either. "Because nothing like that happened," Lewicki says, "this creates the impression the American side has been considering such demands with reference to Polish government members and this has not encountered any reaction from the Polish authorities. It is a great mistake on the part of the US and [shows] insufficient experience in handling such matters by Poland. The effect of all this is a difficult situation which may negatively influence American image in Polish eyes. This is highly undesirable." The consequences of Kenneth Hillas's statement are yet to be seen and felt. Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych, on his part, has repeated the appeal for a discussion on Poland's military involvement in Iraq and for a moral appraisal of the cause its actions have been serving.