Poland Is Getting Short End of the Big Stick

So it now seems that one of our key allies, Poland, has realized that it is getting the short end of America’s big-stick policy in Iraq (“Reliable Poland Is Feeling Like an Ally Scorned,” Dec. 13). What Poland thought would be lucrative contracts from the war (undoubtedly it was promised much to join the “coalition of the willing”) turns out instead to be meager offerings from America.

Some brave newspaper (are you listening, L.A. Times?) will reveal the seductive PR job that helped make it seem as if we enjoyed international support when in fact we didn’t. What was promised to each coalition member and what will it cost us in the long run? How many countries that joined us in Iraq actually enjoyed a popular majority of support for the war? Not Poland and not England and not Spain. Were there any? If not, why did they do it? And, if we end up stiffing those countries (as we’re doing to Poland), what will that cost us the next time we need help?

Todd Mason

Mar Vista