Poland to broaden non-combat operations against Islamic State
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
05.02.2015 09:06
Poland will broaden its operations against the Islamic State, as part of a US-led coalition, but Polish soldiers will not engage in combat actions.
Islamic State militia. Photo: EPA
''Of course we will provide support for the coalition, but we won't take part in combat actions,'' Deputy Minister of Defence Maciej Jankowski said.
Jankowski, together with Deputy Foreign Minister Leszek Soczewica, presented plans to Poland's Parliamentary Defence Committee in the wake of a Tuesday meeting of the US State Department involving foreign ministers of coalition countries.
Soczewica said that Poland has been invited to take part in working groups, so as ''to coordinate the coalition effort'' against the Islamic militants.
The five groups cover military matters, combating the financial backing of the organisation, tracking down terrorists operating abroad, confronting the ideology of the Islamic State, and supporting stabilisation in regions affected.
''We expect that Poland will participate in two or three groups,'' Soczewica said.
Meanwhile, Jankowski recalled that Poland provided aid in 2014 to refugees who had fled the militants to Iraqi Kurdistan. Jankowski said Poland is in talks about resuming such operations.
Jankowski stressed that at present, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is Poland's prime concern.
The matter of wider Polish engagement against the Islamic State was forecast by Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna on a visit to Washington in early January. (nh)
Source: PAP