Polish Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski announced Tuesday that Poland would extend its mandate in Iraq from June 30 to December 31, 2004.An immediate withdrawal of international forces "would create a security vacuum and put into question the stabilisation process by provoking chaos in Iraq and the region," said Szmajdzinski.
The Polish government was planning to maintain up to 2,500 Polish troops in Iraq until the end of December, while significantly reducing numbers in 2005, "upon the wishes of Iraqi authorities," he added.
The United States will hand over power to Iraq on June 30.
Poland leads a multinational force of 6,200 men in a majority Shiite area south of Baghdad and is a staunch ally of the United States in its occupation of Iraq.
Six Polish soldiers have died in Iraq, according to the US Department of Defense, while two Polish nationals -- both now free -- have been kidnapped.
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