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Poland to beef up crack army units
EuropeSun ^ | Jan 08, 2005

Posted on 01/10/2005 11:07:01 AM PST by lizol

Poland to beef up crack army units

WARSAW (AFP) Jan 08, 2005 Poland said Saturday it would beef up elite military units including its GROM special forces deployed in Iraq in 2003 to back the US-led war. Deputy Defence minister Janusz Zemke said GROM was "being developed with the setting up of new combat groups."

"In 2005, we will continue building up GROM and other similar units," PAP news agency quoted the official as saying.

GROM, or Operational Manoeuvre Reconnaissance Group also known as Thunderbolt, is a special forces unit created to fight terrorist threats, equivalent to the US Delta Force.

GROM troops successfully fought in an Iraq Gulf coastal area in March 2003, taking part in fighting in the southern Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr, close to the border with Kuwait.

It was part of coalition forces -- which include combat troops mostly from the United States and Britain, and also from Australia -- which invaded Iraq to oust President Saddam Hussein.

GROM has also performed international peacekeeping duties in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Haiti.

Zemke also said Saturday the government would shortly put out to tender an order for the purchase of six helicopters to replace ageing Soviet-era MI-8 helicopters.

"These aircraft will have to conform to the basic standards we will apply to new combat helicopters," he said.

Then prime minister Leszek Miller was among those injured in an acccident in December 2003 involving an MI-8 government helicopter.

Poland has been a member of NATO since 1999 and is currently modernising its armed forces to bring them into line with Atlantic alliance standards.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; grom; military; poland; polish
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1 posted on 01/10/2005 11:07:01 AM PST by lizol
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To: lizol

we need 50 more allies like Poland. God bless em and protect their forces as well as ours.


2 posted on 01/10/2005 11:13:26 AM PST by kingattax
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To: anonymoussierra

GROM ping!


3 posted on 01/10/2005 11:18:04 AM PST by lizol
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To: lizol; TexKat; Gucho; MEG33; blackie; Ernest_at_the_Beach; gatorbait; PhilDragoo; potlatch; ...

Thank you: }}}}}}}}}}}}


4 posted on 01/10/2005 11:22:54 AM PST by anonymoussierra (Quo Vadis Domine Thank you)
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To: lizol
This sounds like good news -- Poland has been a good friend to pro-liberty causes in recent years. And there's every reason to be optimistic that they'll be an even better friend to liberty in the future. If they want to modernize and upgrade their military, it's great news.
5 posted on 01/10/2005 11:41:47 AM PST by 68skylark
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To: kingattax
Put Poland at the head of the line for Foreign Military Aid. I expect them to put their own country's priorities first - they won't be an American (or Euro-) lapdog. I believe Poles understand the consequences of failure to defend liberty (the graves of innocent Poles throughout Europe may be phyically unmarked , but are marked on Polish hearts). Any democratic country willing to defend their own liberty, and the liberty of others , will "have our back" when we need them.

Give 'em aid, open joint-bases in Poland if they'll have us, and encourage exchange programs for training between their officers and SNO's and ours.

And, I'm waiting to see the "Made in Poland" labels in a local Walmart near me, so I can run up my credit card some more.

SFS

6 posted on 01/10/2005 12:03:21 PM PST by Steel and Fire and Stone
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To: 68skylark

Thank you


7 posted on 01/10/2005 12:04:03 PM PST by anonymoussierra (Quo Vadis Domine Thank you)
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To: anonymoussierra

Just make sure they don't get absorbed into the EU army as a whole.


8 posted on 01/10/2005 12:22:21 PM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: anonymoussierra

Big GROM ~ Bump!

More good stuff about our wonderful and loyal Polish Allies!


9 posted on 01/10/2005 12:23:45 PM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Steel and Fire and Stone
"the graves of innocent Poles throughout Europe may be phyically unmarked , but are marked on Polish hearts"

Thanks, this is one of the most beautiful senteces I've heard for quite a long time.
10 posted on 01/10/2005 12:28:23 PM PST by lizol
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To: Steel and Fire and Stone
"Put Poland at the head of the line for Foreign Military Aid."

Sure... $28 million in last year, 65 in this one - This is about 30% of our costs in Iraq. Egypt or Pakistan get of course billions every year.
11 posted on 01/10/2005 12:31:43 PM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: jb6

You have just won award for the worst troll.


12 posted on 01/10/2005 12:32:52 PM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: Grzegorz 246

Is that the best line you can come up with? Oooh, a lefty is insulting me. How are those EU paychecks coming?


13 posted on 01/10/2005 12:50:33 PM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: jb6

I don't know how I should explain it... I don't want to be cruel, but you must understand that you aren't able to offend me - I just don't really care about your opinions and the fact that you call me "a lefty" only proves that my points are fair.
Grow up man, read some books or watch some educational programs in TV - it may really help you, I believe that you still have some chances to became a valuable human being.



14 posted on 01/10/2005 1:27:06 PM PST by Grzegorz 246
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To: Grzegorz 246
Sure... $28 million in last year, 65 in this one - This is about 30% of our costs in Iraq. Egypt or Pakistan get of course billions every year.

Well, how many Polish Muslim terrorists have you sent to attack the U.S.? Hey, if you won't put it all on the line, why complain?!

< /end sarcasm >

More seriously, I hope that will change soon. In fact, I'm quite certain it will, from what I've heard. However, $money$ does not come totally without strings attached, and I doubt Poles want to be 100% funded like some modern-day Hessian-for-hire Army. But you are correct, the U.S. frequently, and ironically, rewards her enemies (economically) worse than her friends. The real sting would have been if you'd compared our total aid contributions to Poland versus the corrupt Palastinian Authority -- ouch!

Hey, we ain't perfect, but we like the Poles!

Regrets ...

SFS

15 posted on 01/10/2005 4:31:30 PM PST by Steel and Fire and Stone
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To: jb6
"Just make sure they don't get absorbed into the EU army as a whole."

Are you aware that there's no such thing as a EU Army because each EU member is a sovereign nation and takes independent decisions when it comes to foreign and defense policy ?

If that wasn't the case you wouldn't have French and German units in Afghanistan, or Italian and British troops in Iraq...
16 posted on 01/11/2005 9:18:03 AM PST by Atlantic Friend (Cursum Perficio)
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To: Atlantic Friend
UNA-UNSO appeal to Ukrainian troops in Iraq

Basing upon 400-years experience of national liberation movement of Ukrainian people we appeal to Ukrainian military contingent in Iraq to turn your bayonets against USA troops and join the rebels. Ukraine and progessive mankind will be proud of you!"

If it doesn't come up for some reason, click on the US/English flag and scroll down, it will be on the right side of the screen. Oh and they also stated that we deserved 911. Nice guys.

Also read my post: Big Guns (Truth on UNA-UNSO)

17 posted on 01/11/2005 11:33:04 AM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: Atlantic Friend
Just do a google search of "EU MILITARY" and you will find plenty of articles of the new and upcoming EU EUROFORCE. The only thing missing from making it a reality is their constitution, which is campeigning right along.

Do a FR search under FourthReich as a key word, plenty of articles on this, their none democratic constitution, the none elected European Commission, etc. Posted by me and about a dozen other Freepers. Time to educate one's self on what is coming.

18 posted on 01/11/2005 11:39:27 AM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: jb6

The "EUROFORCE" is no more than a publicity stunt, like the Franco-German brigade : it's EU members pooling their resources and temporarily establishing a common chain of command. National armies either obey to the orders given by their national government or by the NATO chain of command if they are part of NATO's integrated military command.

If the EUROFORCE is a sure sign of fascism, then what do you think of NATO, where national armies are supposed to be led by foreign officers ? What about any kind of coalition, like in Iraq in 1990-1991 or 2003-2004 ? Should the British feel threatened because their troops operate under US command ? I don't think so.

As for the "Fourth Reich" articles, I can't help but notice you are the one posting most of them. Quoting yourself as an objective source to make a point does not sound very credible, jb.

Have you lived in the EU ?


19 posted on 01/12/2005 2:45:23 AM PST by Atlantic Friend (Cursum Perficio)
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To: jb6; All

Looks like a blog...I'd be interested to know what Ukrainian Freepers make up of that.


20 posted on 01/12/2005 2:48:35 AM PST by Atlantic Friend (Cursum Perficio)
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