. | . |
Poland ousts 90 percent of top brass in defence overhaul by Staff Writers Warsaw (AFP) Feb 22, 2017 About 90 percent of Poland's top military brass have been replaced in an overhaul launched by the rightwing government, the defence ministry said Wednesday. Several leading generals had already resigned over the past year as Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz pushes to consolidate the government's control of the armed forces. Macierewicz has also said he wants to stamp out all traces of the communist era, by blocking promotions of servicemen who joined before the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, especially those who attended military schools in the Soviet Union. The defence ministry did not say how many generals had left the army, which now stands at 106,000 soldiers, up from 96,000 in 2015. Opposition parties have criticised the departures of key four-star commanders in the army's general staff, at a time of heightened tension with Russia. NATO has started deploying troops in Poland and the Baltic states following Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Last month, General Mieczyslaw Gocul, chief of staff of the Polish armed forces, resigned and was replaced by Lieutenant-General Leszek Surawski. Gocul's departure had followed that of General Miroslaw Rozanski, who had shifted chains of command in the army, air force, navy and special forces to improve the general staff's strategic planning. The move was said to have infuriated the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has vowed deep reforms of the judiciary, state media and other institutions. Major General Jaroslaw Mika has taken up Rozanski's position.
Brussels (AFP) Feb 20, 2017 US Vice President Mike Pence began talks with EU officials on Monday in the face of anti-Trump protests and calls from his Belgian hosts to oppose any breakup of the European Union. Pence was in Brussels at the end of a European trip aimed at reassuring allies fearful that US President Donald Trump might abandon them. "No question of allowing the European Union's breakup. That message wa ... read more Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |