Major Adrian Tomaszkiewicz, a Polish veteran of the Afghan mission, powerfully responded to the controversial words of president Donald Trump about the function of NATO allies in Afghanistan. The American leader stated on 22 January in Fox News that the U.S. “we never needed them” and that allied troops kept “away from the front line”. A Polish officer who served in Afghanistan for almost 2 years considered these words “very inappropriate” and recalled the militant engagement of Polish soldiers alongside American forces.
Trump claimed in an interview with Fox News that the United States “we never truly asked them for anything”. According to the U.S. President, allied troops were to “hold back a bit”. These statements sparked a wave of outrage in Europe, where French and Italian leaders demanded an apology.
In his conversation with "Fakt", Major Tomaszkiewicz powerfully denied these claims. «I served on it for almost 2 years. We carried out tasks in respective provinces together with United States Army troops. Polish soldiers carrying out tasks were not a logistical base, but support for strictly fighting”, the officer explained.
Polish veteran described the engagement of Polish units in detail. Over 1,200 Polish combat soldiers carried out tasks in the provinces of Paktika, Paktia and Kandahar. «It was the 12th and 16th Mechanized Division, the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division, as well as peculiar units: GROM, Formoza and the Military Gendarmerie» – said Major Tomaszkiewicz in an interview with "Fact".
Polish Military Counterintelligence Service and Military Intelligence Service played a key role. «They provided us and the Americans with key information support. The Americans, utilizing the culinary jargon, frequently ate our arrangements," the officer stressed. Ground units could number on shielding of Polish Mi-17 helicopters and Mi-24 helicopters. “The second is not a transport machine, but a heavy-duty combat helicopter”, said Tomaszkiewicz.
Political storm around President's reaction
Trump's words besides sparked a sharp exchange of views in Polish politics. Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty criticized president Nawrocki's reaction to the message of the American leader on TVN24. «What president Donald Trump has said is outrageous and I powerfully condemn it. Secondly, full of respect for Polish soldiers who participated in actions and in Afghanistan and Iraq”, said Czarzasty.
The marshal threw Nawrock's attitude besides delicate. «Mr Nawrocki did not respond as the president of Poland should. He should condemn Trump's consequence and unequivocally support Polish soldiers, but not so delicate. You gotta call things by name. Trump said a terrible thing and that should be said by the President, and Polish soldiers are fantastic soldiers”, added Czarzasty in an interview with TVN24.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk previously wrote to Nawrocki and Jarosław Kaczyński: «It is time to get up from your knees, gentlemen. People are watching». The president replied: «Free jokes, Prime Minister — the 3rd decade you kneel, from Berlin to Brussels. Moscow besides happened».
Czarzasty recalled that the Prime Minister of England straight criticized Trump, after which the American president apologized to him. «Mr President, on your knees you will not do anything for Poland» - emphasized the marshal in TVN24.
Major Tomaszkiewicz concluded his speech with an appeal for memory. «Soyuszów should be respected and remembered about those who did not return from this mission", he said in an interview with "Fakt". respective twelve Polish soldiers were killed in the Afghan mission.
Note: This article was created utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI).
