Kerry praises Poland as a US bridge to Europe

US presidential candidate John Kerry, apparently trying to woo Polish-American voters after failing to mention Poland in a debate with President George W. Bush, has praised Warsaw as a US bridge to Europe.

"I am grateful to Poland for seeking to play the role of a bridge between America and Europe during these difficult times and for still believing in our common values," Mr Kerry told Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper in an interview published yesterday.

Mr Kerry, a Democratic senator who is slightly behind Mr Bush in opinion polls, failed to mention Poland as a US ally in Iraq during a televised debate in which he accused Mr Bush of going to war in Iraq virtually alone.

Mr Bush reminded Mr Kerry that Poland, the largest ex-communist member of the European Union and Nato, was a key Washington ally in Iraq, where Warsaw has 2,500 troops and commands an 8,000-strong multinational force.

Mr Kerry's failure to mention Poland was played up by the Polish media and has made waves among the roughly 10 million Polish-Americans, many of whom live in election states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin where the race is close.

Public opinion in Poland heavily opposes the presence of Polish troops in Iraq. Warsaw plans to start scaling back its forces in Iraq after the country's elections scheduled for January.

Mr Kerry said that, if elected, he would try to broaden the Iraqi coalition by offering allies, such as Poland, a chance at gaining more contracts to rebuild the war-torn country.

"America must give its allies a large role in stabilising Iraq. The best way to do this is by linking their interests with a peaceful future for Iraq," he said.

"In economic matters, this would entail giving our tested friends, such as Poland, a share of multi-billion dollar reconstruction contracts."

Mr Kerry said that as president he would seek to eliminate visas for Poles and other central Europeans who have firmly embraced membership in the EU and the Nato military alliance.

"This is a bold idea and I realise it could run into serious bureaucratic and legal barriers," said Mr Kerry, who narrowly trails incumbent George W. Bush in opinion surveys ahead of next week's election.