After eight month delay Defense Minister finally appoints new GROM head

Defense Minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz yesterday appointed lieutenant-colonel Roman Polko as the commander of Poland's elite special forces unit GROM. Last September former Defense Minister Janusz Palubicki made a controversial decision to dismiss GROM commander general Slawomir Petelicki and his deputies on charges of mismanagement of funds, which later turned out to be untrue. Onyszkiewicz yesterday also restored one of the dismissed deputies, Slawomir Gorka, to his position. Polko, a graduate of a rangers course in the U.S., was until recently the commander of the 18th battalion in Kosovo. Ex-commander Petelicki praised the appointment. "Lt.-Col. Polko is the best candidate for this position from outside of GROM," he said. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 8) T.J.