Ryszard Krystosik, 68, ran from 1994 to 2001 the US interests section at the Polish embassy, which was set up after the 1991 Gulf War.

"Mr Krystosik is already in Nasiriyah, accompanied by an employee of our ministry," Foreign Ministry spokesman Boguslaw Majewski told AFP.

Poland, which sent 183 soldiers to the Gulf region to help the US-led military operation in Iraq, is hoping to take part in reconstruction projects there. 54 of the soldiers were directly involved in fighting in Iraq itself.

On Monday Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski ruled out an early return of Polish troops.

"The war is and is not coming to an end. There will not be a swift decision on the return of either American, Australian, British or Polish troops," Szmajdzinski was quoted by the PAP news agency as saying.

Poland's economy and employment ministry has already appealed to interested companies to put their names forward.

According to Marek Siwiec, the aide to Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski on security matters, around 100 Polish companies have already lodged offers.

Siwiec also told Polish public radio he planned to go to Washington soon to meet White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

SPACE.WIRE