"Public opinion polls show that Poles overwhelmingly want to bring their troops home."

<qa href="http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040809/ap_on_re_eu/us_iraq_3">"It once was a 23-nation force of 9,500 troops responsible for south-central Iraq but has dwindled to 6,200 troops from 16 countries after several pulled out, most notably Spain, which withdrew its 1,300 soldiers after the election of a new government.

"Poland has stressed it will not abandon its role leading the force, even though it is unpopular at home.

"But Polish officials have said they would like to reduce its troops from 2,400 to between 1,000 and 1,500 and put more of the burden on Iraqi forces by early next year."

When is a "coalition" not a "coalition", but a collection of token mercenary forces? And as it disintegrates, Bush and Powell discard the bravado and continue to beg for nations to send their folks to die in the place of damned good American kids who are being sacrificed. For Bush's ego.

It all seems a shame, doesn't it?

Arf