More Polish choppers for Kandahar?
Further to this post, it looks as if the Poles may offer four more aircraft to help the CF at Kanadahar:
On the eve of a crucial NATO summit, Poland appears ready to increase its offer of helicopter support for Canadian troops in Afghanistan who are awaiting the arrival of their own transports.
As many as four additional Mi-17 helicopters could be stationed at Kandahar airfield, bringing to six the number of aircraft the Polish government would put at the disposal of Canadians, defence sources told The Canadian Press.
The arrangement could be in place by this summer and last up to a year — long enough for National Defence to purchase and deploy six of its own CH-47D Chinook battlefield helicopters, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Polish helicopters would be made available on what’s called "a contribution basis" that would require Canada to foot the bill for their use, the sources added...
Immediately after meeting with leaders of the 26-member military alliance, Harper is scheduled to fly to Poland for two days of talks with Kaczynski’s prime minister.
Poland is eager to play a bigger role in the newly expanded NATO and has been one of the few European members to increase its troop and equipment commitments in Afghanistan.
The former East Bloc country announced in December (not quite that firm then) it was bolstering its contribution to 1,600 troops and eight helicopters in southern and eastern Afghanistan.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 4:42 p.m.
3 Comments:
Well, God bless the Poles. They seem to understand what's at stake -- not just for Afghanistan, but for the insurance policy of Western civilization. They also seem to understand that alliances are based on reciprocity: in order for you to show up when we need you, we need to show up when you need us. To decline these considerations means that (a) you think the world is a safe enough place for the foreseeable future, and (b) lack any sense of propriety. Which describes most of the rest of continental Europe to a T.
At any rate I'm glad your guys will have the airpower they need... the more so because no one can possibly mistake this for the Poles kissing Yankee arse. They're doing their part and making ends meet. Full stop.
"Well, God bless the Poles." AMEN TO THAT! I do not believe you will find them wanting for resolve, courage, or skill.
"To decline these considerations means that (a) you think the world is a safe enough place for the foreseeable future, and (b) lack any sense of propriety. Which describes most of the rest of continental Europe to a T."
The Poles are sufficiently newly liberated from Soviet-imposed Communist tyranny to know that freedom is not the human norm, but the human ideal, and that it must be cherished and defended by force. Whereas western Europe as a whole has chosen to have historical amnesia to justify it's moral apathy.
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