Delay in dispatch fuels rumors Polish troops may not be sent to Afghanistan

The departure of 300 Polish soldiers for Afghanistan is likely to be postponed until next month. Colonel Eugeniusz Mleczak, the spokesman for the Defense Minister, told Zycie that due to the more stable situation in Afghanistan there appeared to be no urgent need for the Polish troops. Zycie speculates that the delay is also being caused by a lack of transport for taking the troops on the first leg of their journey, to Kyrgyzstan. Another cause of the delay may be the failure to clarify what tasks the Polish contingent would be expected to perform. Former Defense Minister and current deputy chief of the Sejm Defense Commission, Bronislaw Komorowski, claims that the delay may result in the soldiers being sent to a different region altogether. Zycie agrees, citing rumors that the Polish force may eventually be sent to the Persian Gulf. The Polish soldiers, who were expected to leave for Afghanistan this month, have been awaiting their orders since January 10. (Zycie, p. 5) M.T.K.