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US to send combat troops to Poland
American Thinker ^ | April 19, 2014 | Rick Moran

Posted on 04/19/2014 11:24:30 AM PDT by neverdem

Poland will breathe a little easier because at the very least, American troops in Poland will be an effective trip wire and hedge against Russia making a move to reclaim the former Warsaw Pact country.

Washington Post:

Poland and the United States will announce next week the deployment of U.S. ground forces to Poland as part of an expansion of NATO presence in Central and Eastern Europe in response to events in Ukraine. That was the word from Poland’s defense minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, who visited The Post Friday after meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon on Thursday.

Siemoniak said the decision has been made on a political level and that military planners are working out details. There will also be intensified cooperation in air defense, special forces, cyberdefense and other areas. Poland will play a leading regional role, “under U.S. patronage,” he said.

But the defense minister also said that any immediate NATO response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, while important, matter less than a long-term shift in the defense postures of Europe and America. The United States, having announced a “pivot” to Asia, needs to “re-pivot” to Europe, he said, and European countries that have cut back on defense spending need to reverse the trends.

“The idea until recently was that there were no more threats in Europe and no need for a U.S. presence in Europe any more,” Siemoniak said, speaking through an interpreter. “Events show that what is needed is a re-pivot, and that Europe was safe and secure because America was in Europe.”

How likely is such a reversal on defense spending? Siemoniak said there was widespread support at a recent meeting of European defense ministers. “Now they’ll go back to their presidents...


(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; Russia
KEYWORDS: drainingusassets; europeanunion; nato; paulbearers; paultardation; poland; putin; selfdefense
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WaPo had no mention of the usual ground combat units: infantry, armored and artillery.
1 posted on 04/19/2014 11:24:30 AM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Not so good.

But better than sending them to the Bundy Ranch in Nevada.


2 posted on 04/19/2014 11:32:13 AM PDT by Iron Munro (NSA reports Malaysia Flight 370 black box signals detected in Bermuda Triangle)
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To: neverdem

“Poland will breathe a little easier....”

.
Not only Poland will breathe a little easier but also the rest of the Europukes who will not have to send their troops.

Money saved can be spent on all those social programs like 30-day vacations, etc.

I know, I know, American troops are a tripwire and all that BS.


3 posted on 04/19/2014 11:33:54 AM PDT by 353FMG
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To: neverdem

When do the girly men of Europe - as the EU likes to call itself - take care of their own problems?

Which if they had managed the fall of the Soviet Union correctly, instead of humiliating Russia in the 1990s, would have meant this entire episode and the rise of Putinism would not have happened.


4 posted on 04/19/2014 11:34:35 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: 353FMG

Don’t worry, soon they call for the oh-so-fearsome blue beret battalions.

That’ll scare Bad Vlad.


5 posted on 04/19/2014 11:36:15 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: neverdem

Next the crack JAG corps will be negotiating terms of surrender. At what point will the Army have more JAG officers than Infantry?


6 posted on 04/19/2014 11:41:52 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (This is known as "bad luck". - Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: neverdem

What combat forces?


7 posted on 04/19/2014 11:45:04 AM PDT by ansel12 ((Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism)
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To: 353FMG

Poland is the only NATO country that decided to maintain her forces and modernization. Her defense budget as a percentage of GDP is equal to the rate Israel spends on her defense. Poland is the only NATO nation preparing for a large land war on her soil while the rest of the NATO nations reduced defense spending.
In a mulitpolar world the first superpower fight will lose. We have five major superpowers or superpowers to be. US, EU, China, Russia and India. Putin move for Crimea has set things in motion. He won the first stages but in the long run he may have undermine Russia’s status. A limited arms race between US/EU and Russia is costly. Granted Russia has gas and oil, but her GDP is only 2 trillion at best. In her alliance with China, Russia is the junior partner. Even though China utter support for Russia, an arms race undermines Russian economic development (a mistake the Soviet Union made). This means Russia will be more dependent on China for consumer goods and financial deals while resources are needed for military build up.
Conclusion is a conflict between the debt ridden US/EU, and Russia will benefit China and India.


8 posted on 04/19/2014 11:45:09 AM PDT by Fee ( Big Gov and Big Business are Enemies of America)
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To: ansel12
What combat forces?


9 posted on 04/19/2014 11:48:17 AM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: Regulator

The poles are definitely not girly men. Badasses for the most part. But they do not have the state of art c&c or weaponry. They still remember. Unlike France and Britain.


10 posted on 04/19/2014 11:48:29 AM PDT by epluribus_2 (he had the best mom - ever.)
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To: epluribus_2

Favorite polish joke - Germans are comming in the front door and Russians in the back. Who does the pole shoot first? The German of course - business before pleasure. (Told to me in Gdansk)


11 posted on 04/19/2014 11:52:21 AM PDT by epluribus_2 (he had the best mom - ever.)
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To: neverdem
Trip wire, eh, to be slaughtered by invading Russian hordes?

Absurd.

12 posted on 04/19/2014 11:54:40 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: Timber Rattler

Reagan had 435,000 of us in Europe.


13 posted on 04/19/2014 11:57:31 AM PDT by ansel12 ((Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism)
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To: Regulator

“When do the girly men of Europe - as the EU likes to call itself - take care of their own problems?”

You know the answer: NEVER.


14 posted on 04/19/2014 12:00:05 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: neverdem

Gay, straight, transgendered or all three?


15 posted on 04/19/2014 12:11:26 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I will raise $2M for Cruz and/or Palin's next run, what will you do?)
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To: neverdem

When JFK was starting the Vietnam war, he sent in 16,000 troops, I don’t recall the Wash Post ever calling them “combat troops”.


16 posted on 04/19/2014 12:11:49 PM PDT by ansel12 ((Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism)
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To: ansel12

That was 30 years ago. Since then, the Europeans all loudly demanded that we “Yankees” go home, and we so did. This therefore is a European problem. Let them deal with it.


17 posted on 04/19/2014 12:15:12 PM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: neverdem

Meanwhile, gays, lesbians, and transgenders are demanding the honor of being on the front lines when the shooting starts.


18 posted on 04/19/2014 12:15:19 PM PDT by Enterprise ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire)
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To: Fee

Poland + Ukraine = potential real superpower


19 posted on 04/19/2014 12:17:41 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: neverdem
If the Bear enters Polish territory, and NATO doesn't shoot back, NATO is finished (along with Poland).

5.56mm

20 posted on 04/19/2014 12:24:59 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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