Today’s news cycle went from this:
BRUSSELS — NATO failed to win new troop commitments for its Afghanistan campaign yesterday, but said a 10-day offensive to dislodge Taliban fighters from their southern strongholds was achieving its goals despite the shortage of troops.
To this:
Poland to Send 1,000 More Troops to Afghanistan
WARSAW, Poland – Poland said Thursday it would send 1,000 new troops to join its existing 100-strong contingent in Afghanistan in response to NATO calls for reinforcements to step up the fight against Taliban insurgents
Is anyone surprised that it was a “new” European country that answered the call?
yeah, Australia is right up there. You boys know how to fight.
No I am not surprised. Poland has been a steadfast ally since the wall came down. In fact, it was Polish special forces who dismantled many of the SCUD launchers in western Iraq during OEF.
When I was in Iraq, I met some Aussies while waiting for a ride in Baghdad. Personally, I was glad to see them, but worried at the time, because there was so much criticism about the “Coalition of the Willing.” I asked one of their guys about it and I’ll never foget the answer: “Do you even know of a war in the last three hundred years when we didn’t fight? It’s what we do.” Since then, I’ve never been much worried about Australia and am very proud we have such good friends. Later – nerf
Hey, any country that celebrates an unarmed man wrestling 800 lb. crocodiles (something you wouldn’t catch me doing in a hundred years) is a country that I want having my back in a fight.
I think that the Aussie and American cultures are closer than many realize. British colonial roots aside, both countries have a strong rural, “get sh*t done” history.
I think the taming of both the American west and Australian outback have affected each nation’s world view, silly as that may sound.
God Bless the Poles. We need more of them.
If only for the unfortunate geography at the WWII we could have had Poland in NATO and left the CCCP with France.
That could have cut 20 years off the Cold War…