Posted on 01/04/2009 11:14:45 AM PST by lizol
Polish Special Forces to fight Somali pirates
Created: 03.01.2009 10:02
Polish Special Forces from the Operation Mobile Reaction Group (GROM) are to join European Union troops fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Several dozen commandos are scheduled to go to Somalia to take part in the EU anti-piracy operation, code-named Atalanta.
The idea arose when, in November, the Saudi based tanker, ‘Sirius Star,’ with a crew including two Poles - the captain and a crew member - on board plus 2 million barrels of oil. The pirates are demanding 25 million dollars in ransom money.
Somali pirates have been responsible for the hijacking of many ships since the outbreak of civil war in the country in the 1990s. In last 12 months the Kenyan government estimates that up to 150 million dollars has been been given over the pirates in ransom.
While the Ministry of Defence refuses to confirm the story published in the Rzeczpospolita daily, the EU mission itself, Operation Atalanta, started in the middle of December off the coast of Somalia. It is the first sea-operation of it’s kind by the EU and is composed of three airplanes from France, Germany and the UK and well as operatives from various member states.
Rzeczpospolita reports that the forces from GROM - a kind of Polish equivalent to the SAS - will leave in several weeks, when the government and President approve the mission. Minister of Defence, Bogdan Klich, has already put the proposal before the Council of Ministers at the last meeting of 2008.
When they spot these Somali Pirates just call a airstrike of A10’S ?
Great article - thanks for posting.
This seems to be so much silliness on Poland’s part.
Leave the pirates alone.
At least the pirates are giving the Saudis and Arab states hell and establishing a pro-Somali resistance against Muslim terorists in that pitiful African country.
It’s not Poland’s fight.
Poland doesn’t need to do the bidding of the European Union, her would-be masters.
I always assumed that they were originally based on Soviet Spetznas.
No, GROM was created in early 90’s - in co-operation with British SAS and American Delta Force.
Beats the horses they used to fight the Nazi hordes with...
GROM will just blow ‘em out of the water. Job done!
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