WARSAW, Poland -- Poland's election Sunday could bring to power a party that favors a quicker end to the country's military mission in Iraq and tougher bargaining over hosting a U.S. missile defense base -- while still promising to remain a strong American ally.Polls give an edge to the pro-business Civic Platform party over Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's conservative Law and Justice party going into the balloting for a new parliament.Both favor a strong alliance with Washington, but Civic Platform shows signs it may be more inclined to push for getting more for its friendship with the United States.Since taking power in fall 2005, Kaczynski's government has twice extended the Polish mission in Iraq, beefed up its force in Afghanistan to more than 1,000 soldiers, and voiced strong support for hosting the U.S. anti-missile base despite fierce objections from Russia.The government extended the Iraq mission last year until the end of this year, but Kaczynski has suggested it could be extended for yet another 12 months, saying Poles "have never been deserters."Civic Platform, in contrast, has called for bringing home Poland's 900 soldiers in Iraq, though some party officials have said that could take as long as until the end of 2008. The party also says Poland should get more from the U.S. in return for a missile base deal.
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