[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19080]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF POLAND IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 20, 2006

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
contributions Poland has made in the ongoing operations in Afghanistan 
and Iraq. Poland has been a steadfast ally of the United States, and I 
thank the Polish people and government for their friendship.
  America has enjoyed strong ties with Poland since our Nation's 
founding. During the American Revolution, Polish patriots such as 
Casimir Pulaski and Tadeusz Kosciuszko made valuable contributions in 
securing our Nation's independence. Today, over 30 percent of my 
district and 9 million Americans across our country can claim Polish 
ancestry.
  The Polish and American Governments have enjoyed close, bilateral 
relations since 1989, when Poland became a free, democratic, and 
independent nation. Since that time, Poland has made dramatic strides 
in securing its democracy, improving its economy, and developing strong 
relationships with its neighbors in Europe and abroad. This is evident 
in Poland's joining of NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
  In addition to its membership in NATO, Poland's military has been 
very active in United Nations' peacekeeping forces and has played a 
vital role in the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Poland currently 
has 1,000 troops deployed in Iraq, and when a recent call went out to 
NATO nations asking for reinforcements to Afghanistan, Poland was the 
first to respond, pledging 900 additional troops to that country.
  Today, along with the Caucus on Central and Eastern Europe, I had the 
honor of hosting the chief of general staff of Polish Armed Forces, 
General Gagor. General Gagor is a distinguished soldier and a proven 
leader. I have no doubt that under General Gagor's watch the Polish 
military will continue to make valuable contributions to peace around 
the world.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Poland's 
contributions in Afghanistan and Iraq and to recognize Poland as one of 
our Nation's most important allies.

                          ____________________