[R-G] Poland plans to send more troops to Afghanistan

[Anthony Fenton]

Poland plans to send more troops to Afghanistan
19 Mar 2008 18:51:04 GMT
Source: Reuters
WARSAW, March 19 (Reuters) - The Polish government said on Wednesday  
it planned to send 400 more troops and eight helicopters to strengthen  
NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Poland, the biggest ex-communist NATO member, has so far contributed  
about 1,200 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance  
Force (ISAF) fighting the Taliban and backing the Kabul government.

"It was proposed that the (Polish) force will reach 1,600 soldiers and  
military personnel," the government said in a statement after a  
cabinet meeting.

Polish troops are scattered across Afghanistan and in return for  
boosting troops numbers, Warsaw wants its entire contingent to be  
based in one province, saying it will raise the effectiveness of the  
force.

The United States is heading a campaign, ahead of an April NATO summit  
in Bucharest, for what it calls a fairer sharing of the burden in the  
fight against Taliban insurgents. Poland, along with Britain, Canada  
and others supported the campaign.

The final say on whether the troops will go lies now with President  
Lech Kaczynski, supreme commander of Polish armed forces. (Reporting  
by Patryk Wasilewski)