The Polish equivalent of Air Force One has crashed in Russia. There are no survivors. Among the dead are known to be Polish President Lech Kaczynski; Army chief of staff, Gen. Franciszek Gagor; and, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called an emergency meeting of his cabinet, and Vladimir Putin is heading the Russian investigation of the crash. According to the Polish constitution, Parlimentary Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski (who was slated to be Kaczynski's opponent in the next election) will take over presidential duties. This is a heavy blow for Poland, and it is ironic that the plane was coming in for a landing so that the delegation could attend ceremonies at Katyn. This is the site where Soviet secret police murdered some 22,000 Polish military officers and while the Soviets (and now the Russians) have never formally apologized for it, having Vladimir Putin attend the ceremonies was widely seen as a conciliatory gesture. This gesture was and is much needed given the strained relations between Poland and Russia. There is much more to be said and discussed, from the role of the Polish president to the aircraft in question, but for now this can wait. Please keep the people of Poland in your thoughts, prayers, or whatever you do now and in the days ahead. LW
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Posted
Apr 09 2010, 09:53 PM
by
BLACKFIVE