Pentagon staff were blindsided by Pete Hegseth ’s sudden U-turn on sending troops to Poland this week, in the latest humiliation for European allies . The decision would affect the temporary redeployment of some 4,000 U.S. -based troops, just two weeks after the defense department said it was pulling 5,000 troops from Germany amid a widening rift over the Iran war between president Donald Trump and Europe. A US official told POLITICO they “had no idea it was coming”, and said they had spent the last 24 hours speaking with Europe to try to make sense of the decision and whether more surprises could follow. Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, told the outlet: “The Poles certainly have never criticized President Trump, and they do all the things that good allies are supposed to do . And yet, this happens.” No formal announcement has been made and a lawmaker said the decision has not yet been notified to Congress. The Independent approached the Pentagon for comment.…