Bush's European tour commences in Poland

US President George W. Bush arrives in Poland on Friday on the first leg of a European tour, to cement Washington's blossoming relationship with its ally in the Iraq crisis. The White House said Bush would meet the Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski in the southern town of Krakow "to strengthen the warm links between the Polish and American people." Poland was one of Washington's staunchest allies during the Iraq crisis, contributing about 200 troops to the US-led coalition in the war to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The eastern European nation of 39 million people has as a reward been given responsibility for ensuring security in a sector of post-war Iraq between Basra and Baghdad as part of the stabilisation force being put in place by Washington and London. Poland forged strong links with Washington after leaving the communist bloc in 1989, becoming one of the first ex-communist countries to join NATO in 1999.