Poland plans to send more troops to Afghanistan
19,march,2008
Reuters
WARSAW,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)
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