<https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/poland-authorizes-deadly-force-border-after-spear-throwing-migrants-murder-guard>

The Poland-Belarus border crisis has intensified over the past month,
following the death of a Polish border guard at the hands of a
spear-throwing migrant. The death of 21-year-old border guard Sgt
Mateusz Sitek on June 6th garnered national and international attention,
after days prior to his succumbing to his wounds a sharp spear was
hurled from the fence where he was on patrol.

The Telegraph has described that the mostly Middle East/North African
(MENA) migrants on the Belarusian side are growing violent and more
aggressive. "Dozens of illegal migrants on the Belarusian side of the
border with Poland hurled a volley of makeshift spears at Polish border
guards through the five-metre-high steel fence," the report said.

"Some fell short of their targets and as the security forces picked them
up they saw what appeared to be a tree branch with a steel blade taped
to the top." In the attack, "Several were injured in the bombardment and
one - Sgt Mateusz Sitek, a 21-year-old from the village of Nowy Lubiel -
lost his life." The stabbing happened on May 28, leaving the guard
critically injured. Video of the immediate aftermath showed migrants
trying to kill another soldier who was attempting to administer aid to
Mateusz...

The Telegraph concluded, "They may be incredibly crude, but the weapons
show a new level of organization and intent from the waves of migrants
arriving at the gates of the EU through Belarus."

Warsaw has long accused the government of Aleksandr Lukashenko of
facilitating the border crisis by flying Middle East migrants into
Minsk, and transporting them to the Polish border. The EU has also
condemned the alleged 'hybrid warfare'.

Spokesman for Poland's border patrol, Colonel Katarzyna Zdanowicz, has
said, "We took an oath to defend our country with the sacrifice of our
lives. But no one expected it to be like this. After the death of this
young soldier, we understood how realistic our oath was."

Hundreds have continued to try and force their way across the border,
authorities have described, in a situation which noticeably intensified
starting in April this year (amid at least two years of border
tensions). Some pundits are openly blaming Putin and say that it is all
connected with the Ukraine war.

There has been growing pressure on the Polish government to loosen up
rules of engagement and the ability of troops to defend themselves on
the border. Regional media is saying parliament has approved firing upon
attacking migrants in self defense.

The bill amends existing laws to remove liability for "a crime committed
by a soldier, police or border guard officer who, in violation of the
rules on the use of direct coercive measures and firearms, issues an
order to use them or uses them himself in specific cases – if the
situation requires immediate action."

The new rules of engagement apply to four specific situations,
summarized in the following:

The first is in cases requiring an officer to “repel a direct and
unlawful attack on the inviolability of the state border by a person who
forces a crossing of the state border using a vehicle, firearm or other
dangerous object”.

The second is in cases of self-defence: “to repel a direct and unlawful
attack on the life, health or freedom of a soldier, police or border
guard officer or other person, undertaken in the event of a direct and
unlawful attack on the inviolability of the state border.”

The third relates to cases of pre-emptive self-defence in which there is
a need to “prevent activities aimed directly at attacking the life,
health or freedom of a soldier, police or border guard officer or other
person, in the event of a direct and unlawful attack on the
inviolability of the state border”.

The fourth would cover situations in which “it is necessary to confront
a person who does not comply with a request to immediately abandon a
weapon, explosive or other dangerous item, the use of which may threaten
the life, health or freedom of that soldier”.

All of this is in direct response to the border guard's death in June,
and the fact that migrants using deadly weapons is a phenomena clearly
documented and on the rise.

Likely European Union leadership will push back against the new
policies, as it is also expected to do with Finland, which has also
given border troops more enforcement power.

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CrudeSausage