How many Polish troops does it take to screw over 3.5 million million people? According to Interfax, about 2,000: one defense minister to suckup to the Bush Administration and 1,999 grunts to face armed resistance in five sweltering Iraqi provinces.

Warsaw. (Interfax-Europe) - Poland will take control of a stabilization zone in Iraq running between the Saudi and Iranian borders and encompassing 5 Iraqi provinces and 3.5 million inhabitants, Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski told a radio audience Wednesday morning.

Poland, taking up the reins in the zone at the U.S.'s behest, will provide 2,000 troops to the zone and is lining up support from other countries to assemble a force grouping a "full division."

Szmajdzinski hosted a "force generation conference" of some 20 countries considering participation in the Polish zone last week in Warsaw. Though a news blackout surrounded the meeting, Polish press has reported that Bulgaria, Denmark, Fiji, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Ukraine have pledged support.