Polish Gov't Warns of Attacks Using Jets

WARSAW, Poland – Poland's government said Friday it had ordered increased security at airfields and aircraft hangars, citing a "realistic" possibility of terrorist attacks using small jets.

An Interior Ministry statement did not elaborate on the reason for the warning or mention any specific target.

Citing "a realistic threat of attacks with the use of small jets," it said special measures had been taken to ensure control of airfields, pilot training organizations and plane hangars, but did not elaborate.

Ministry spokesman Jaroslaw Skowronski refused to say whether the move resulted from any specific threat received by Polish intelligence.

"What I can say is that one needs to take into account such a possibility," he said.

On Thursday, Polish officials said that President Aleksander Kwasniewski (search) was named as a terror target on an Arabic-language Web site possibly linked to Al Qaeda (search) that suggested Spain — another key U.S. ally in Iraq — as a target last year.

Poland sent combat troops for the U.S.-led war to oust Saddam Hussein (search) and now leads a 9,500-strong multinational peacekeeping force in Iraq.

"The threat is realistic," Kwasniewski told Poland's Radio One Friday. "That puts on all of us an obligation to be watchful, especially in the Easter season when many people withdraw to devote themselves to family lives."

"We face a very well-organized network which has the knowledge, materials and logistics to organize terrorist attacks," Kwasniewski said.

Still, he reaffirmed that Poland would not bow to the threat of terrorism by withdrawing its troops from Iraq — echoing an assurance he gave President Bush last month that Polish troops would stay "as long as needed to achieve the intended goals."

"As soon as the situation in Iraq is stabilized, we will withdraw our troops immediately," Kwasniewski said in Friday's interview.

Spain's incoming socialist government is threatening to withdraw its contingent in the Polish-led peacekeeping force by June 30 unless the United Nations takes political control.