Thirty-four members of Poland's roughly 2,500-strong contingent in Iraq have been flown home after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a Polish defense ministry colonel announced Tuesday at a Warsaw conference on psychological care for troops serving abroad.
The cases were spread across three rotations: seven from the first deployment in 2003, 23 from the second, and four from the current one. PTSD, triggered by exposure to life-threatening situations, typically causes flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and sometimes aggression.
Poland commands a multinational sector in south-central Iraq and has been among Washington's closest partners since the 2003 invasion, though public support at home remains weak. Thirteen Polish soldiers and four civilians have died there.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.