The tragic events of 11 September, 2001, which shook the democratic world, showed that one cannot feel safe anywhere. One cannot stand on the sidelines in the face of the threat of international terrorism. History has taught us, Poles, that in such a situation one cannot afford the comfort of passive observation.

During its history Poland has experienced the bitterness of defeat and experienced isolation. Many times our allies abandoned us in difficult moments. From our bitter and often tragic experiences we draw the lesson that we must not abandon our friends and allies in need. Poland, we - are a loyal and predictable partner. Thanks to such an attitude, we can be sure that we also can count on the assistance of the United States and of those states and nations that share the same values and are willing to carry out their duties conscientiously.

Faithful to these principles, Poland, to the extent of its possibilities, has joined the operation "Iraqi Freedom", which is not just about the freedom of Iraq but also about a safer future of the world.

Soldiers! Your presence on Iraqi soil will become part of the rich tradition of Polish peacekeeping missions. This year 50 years will pass since our soldiers took up service in the first of them - in Korea. This year 30 years will pass since the first Polish military contingent appeared on the Sinai Peninsula. The Polish Field Hospital was responsible for medical care, the engineering unit for removal of mines, and the logistics unit dealt with ensuring safe drinking water and food for all the contingents. Today, Polish peacekeeping missions - in a force of nearly 2,000 soldiers - are stationed in Syria, Lebanon, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Everywhere they are warmly received and respected by the authorities as well as the residents of the territories on which they perform their commendable service. I believe that you, thanks to your competencies and skills, also will gain respect, and thanks to your proper attitude - the friendliness of the local population.

Poles have proved themselves in peacekeeping missions. Our fifty years of activity in the cause of security and stability in the world is bearing fruit in a lot of knowledge and experience gained. We also are earning the respect and trust of our partners and foreign friends. These advantages lay at the foundation of the request addressed to the authorities of the Republic of Poland to include our country in the process of restoring stability in Iraq. We took up the challenge, even though we are aware that this will not be easy service.
You are heading off to the unknown. Remember, however, that the Iraqis to this day have good memories of Poles, who were in their country during World War II. Stationed there in October 1942 were soldiers of the Polish Army in the East, which was formed from the 3rd Division of Carpathian Riflemen and General Anders Army, and with them four and a half thousand young men of the labour brigade and members of the Women's Auxiliary Service. At first our soldiers guarded the oil fields at Mosul against German attack from the Caucasus. Later they protected the oil installations in Kirkuk and Mosul against sabotage. Our men and women left behind a good impression, which unquestionably had an influence on good Polish-Iraqi economic relations in the 70s and 80s. Memory of these mutual contacts is valuable capital. I am convinced that you will multiply it.

Today the questions are often asked: Why are our soldiers going to Iraq? Why did we make this decision? What are the motives and foundations of our involvement in military stability and restoration of peace in Iraq? These are justifiable questions. I also understand the fears and concerns for the fate of loved ones who are embarking on this difficult mission. I myself - as I said - also am not bereft of these feelings. However, I am profoundly convinced of the rightness of our actions. This conviction is not altered by the fact that - so far - we have not found proof that the regime of Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that Hussein still had these weapons in 1998, when he ordered the UN weapons inspectors to leave Iraq.

We do not know what happened in Iraq during the next five years. We know one thing for sure: Saddam Hussein, his rule and his criminal regime were a danger to the world. From the fact that so far Hussein has not been found one cannot conclude that he did not exist. If so far no warehouse with weapons of mass destruction has been found, this does not mean that it did not exist. There are testimonies of Saddam Hussein's crimes, and there were thousands of victims who were murdered by chemical and bacteriological weapons. Today in Iraq mass graves are being discovered of women and men, old men and children. We are learning more and more about the shocking crimes committed by the regime. So the main source of the threat was the rule of Saddam Hussein. The removal of this regime has opened the way to a peaceful settlement in the entire region.

In taking the decision to support our friends and allies we remembered that in the course of nearly 25 years the Iraqi authorities twice committed aggression against their closest neighbours, against Iran and Kuwait. What is more, Saddam Hussein did not hesitate to use ballistic missiles against several states of the region.

In making this difficult decision we were guided first of all and exclusively by our own well-conceived interest - the interest of Poland's national security. In today's world peace is indivisible. Those are wrong who believe that we should not be concerned with what happened, with what is happening and with what will happen in Iraq or in other parts of the world. The legitimacy of our involvement in Iraq was and remains faithfulness to principles, the willingness to defend universal values everywhere that they are trampled upon and violated. Among these values are - the right of people to live in freedom and in conditions of respect for human dignity. So the motive behind our involvement in Iraq was the defence of democracy against dictatorship, law against lawlessness, freedom against fear and tyranny. We also remembered that today in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe we would not have democratic states, freedom, respect for human rights and all liberties if the democratic states 14 years ago had remained indifferent to our aspirations, if they had not supported us, if they had left us isolated. We incurred this moral and political debt and have the obligation to repay it. That also means the duty of solidarity with our strategic ally - the United States, which after 11 September has the right to expect not only words of support but also common actions.

We are speaking openly and clearly: We are not a world power and do not make pretensions to such a role. We are not looking for easy profits or access to oil in Iraq. We set another task for ourselves: We wish to help the Iraqi people to build a modern state, in which the principles of law will be respected and in which they will be able to cultivate their own traditions and develop friendly relations with neighbours and all the rest of the world. We are fully aware that democracy cannot be imposed on anyone. It must grow up from native roots, and its form must suit the mentality and needs of the Iraqi people. This is a process, but this process already has started.

Our presence in Iraq in the international stabilisation forces may play an auxiliary role - until independent Iraqi institutions of local and central government emerge. To the extent of our powers and possibilities we are going to support the formation of Iraqi forces of law and order, police, courts, and with time also rebuild an Iraqi army capable of guaranteeing the territorial integrity and security of the borders of a sovereign Iraq. We are in favour of establishing an Iraqi ombudsman in the Polish stabilisation zone. In a nutshell - our strategic goal can be summed up in three words: Iraq for the Iraqis. From our side let us do everything we can so that the Iraqi nation - as soon as possible - can take political power into its own hands and so that the oil and other natural resources of this country will serve to satisfy the needs of its inhabitants. Our soldiers, their commanders, as well as social and nongovernmental organisations providing humanitarian assistance and also Polish firms participating in the reconstruction programme of Iraq are going to strive for these goals.

We are going to co-operate with the United States, Great Britain and other members of the international coalition in the achievement of these goals. We are grateful for the support that we have received for our military presence in Iraq from the Atlantic Alliance - NATO. That decision had great political importance, for it restores the power of the transatlantic community, whose duration and effectiveness is a condition of our common security. (...)

In the world today we have to do with new, unconventional threats, and we must meet them in a new and unconventional manner. I have in mind the threat on terrorism on a scale that is hard to imagine. We are afraid that weapons of mass destruction might come into the hands of terrorists or irresponsible dictators. The number of weak and poor states is growing that are not in control of the situation on their territory. They are becoming a natural asylum for terrorist networks and international criminal gangs. These are areas where mass executions and genocide take place. This happened some years ago in Rwanda, and now it is taking place in the Congo and Liberia. The world cannot remain indifferent to such crimes, even if they take place far away from us.

I am profoundly convinced that the democratic world can counteract these threats effectively. We must be united in these actions. Poland and Europe need America. America needs Europe and Poland. We are an important state in this part of Europe, and for this reason we have duties to face these new threats and must behave reliably, responsibly and in solidarity with others. These are, most briefly, the motives for our military involvement in Iraq.

Soldiers! As strongly as I can I wish to emphasise once again: Poles are not going to be occupiers in Iraq. We do not want to tell the Iraqis how they are supposed to live. We respect their history, culture, traditions and religions. Our presence only is supposed to help them to return to normality, to a life without fear about their own future, without concern for the fate of their loved ones - in a country in which they will be the masters.

Soldiers! In taking up action within the international division - you are going to co-operate with soldier s from 22 states. The success of this mission, effective command, the skill to co-ordinate the efforts of so many nations, so many states - which are; Poland, Spain, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Honduras, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Lithuania, Latvia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Romania, Salvador, Thailand, Hungary, Denmark, Holland, Norway, United States - the co-ordination of the efforts of so many nations and states will build Poland's credibility and prestige. It will enhance the importance of our country, trust in us, and respect - which is also an important dimension of your service.