General: Poles in Afghanistan ill-equipped

WARSAW, Poland, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A Polish general Tuesday criticized the Defense Ministry for not supplying proper equipment to troops in Afghanistan and making them an easy target.

Army Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, commander of Polish land forces, accused staff generals in Warsaw of being partly responsible for the death of Capt. Daniel Ambrozinski, 32, killed by a Taliban sniper Aug. 10 in eastern Afghanistan, Polish Radio reported Tuesday.

If the Polish troops in Afghanistan, serving as part of the NATO-led forces, had airborne support, Ambozinski and his patrol may have not been ambushed by Taliban fighters, he said.

Skrzypczak said the contingent in Afghanistan has been asking the ministry for the needed equipment for two years but the requests were inundated with red tape.

In the meantime, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the government plans to purchase helicopters and unmanned surveillance aircraft for the Afghan contingent, the radio network reported.

Poland has more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan. Ten Polish soldiers have died there.