Polish President, Wife Among Dozens Killed in Russia Plane Crash

[Paslode]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04...ussia-killing/

Updated April 10, 2010
Polish President, Wife Among Dozens Killed in Russia Plane Crash

AP

Russian and Polish officials said there were no survivors on the Soviet-era Tupolev, which was taking the president, his wife and staff to events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police.

March 15, 2010: Polish President Lech Kaczynski and wife Maria are seen in front of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. (AP)

MOSCOW - Polish President Lech Kaczynski and some of the country's highest military and civilian leaders died when the presidential plane crashed as it came in for a landing in thick fog in western Russia on Saturday, killing 96, officials said.

Russian and Polish officials said there were no survivors on the Soviet-era Tupolev, which was taking the president, his wife and staff to events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police.

The Army chief of staff, Gen. Franciszek Gagor, National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer were also on board, the Polish foreign ministry said.

Russia's Emergency Ministry said there were 96 dead, 88 part of a Polish state delegation.

Poland's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Piotr Paszkowski, said there were 89 people on the passenger list but one person had not shown up.

"We still cannot fully understand the scope of this tragedy and what it means for us in the future. Nothing like this has ever happened in Poland," Paszkowski said. "We can assume with great certainty that all persons on board have been killed."

The governor of the Smolensk region, where the crash took place about 11 a.m. (0700 GMT), also said no one survived.

State news channel Rossiya-24 showed footage from the crash site, with pieces of the plane scattered widely amid leafless trees and small fires burning in woods shrouded with fog. A tail fin with the Polish red and white colors stuck up from the debris.

"The Polish presidential plane did not make it to the runway while landing. Tentative findings indicate that it hit the treetops and fell apart," regional governor Sergei Anufriev said on Rossiya-24. "Nobody has survived the disaster."

The presidential Tu-154 was at least 20 years old. Polish officials have long discussed replacing the planes that carry the country's leaders but said they lacked the funds. According to the Aviation Safety Network, there have been 66 crashes involving Tu-154s, including six in the past five years. The Russian carrier Aeroflot recently withdrew its Tu-154 fleet from service.

Polish-Russian relations had been improving of late after being poisoned for decades over the Katyn massacre.

Russia never has formally apologized for the murders of some 22,000 Polish officers, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's decision to attend a memorial ceremony earlier this week in the forest near Katyn was seen as a gesture of goodwill toward reconciliation. Rossiya-24 showed hundreds of people around the Katyn monument, many holding Polish flags, some weeping.

Putin has been put in charge of a commission investigating the crash, the Kremlin said.

In Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an extraordinary meeting of his Cabinet and the national flag was lowered to half-staff at the presidential palace, where people gathered to lay flowers and light candles.

Black ribbons appeared in some windows in the Polish capital.

Poland's president is commander-in-chief of its armed forces but the position's domestic duties are chiefly symbolic. Kaczynski, 60, became president in December 2005 after defeating Tusk in that year's presidential vote.

The nationalist conservative was the twin brother of Poland's opposition leader, former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Kaczynski's wife, Maria, was an economist. They had a daughter, Marta, and two granddaughters.

Kaczynski had said he would seek a second term in presidential elections this fall. He was expected to face an uphill struggle against Parliament speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, the candidate of Tusk's governing Civic Platform party.

According to the constitution, Komorowski would take over presidential duties.

Poland, a nation of 38 million people, is by far the largest of the 10 formerly communist countries that have joined the European Union in recent years.

Last year, Poland was the only EU nation to avoid recession and posted economic growth of 1.7 percent.

It has become a firm U.S. ally in the region since the fall of communism -- a stance that crosses party lines.

The country sent troops to the U.S.-led war in Iraq and recently boosted its contingent in Afghanistan to some 2,600 soldiers.

U.S. Patriot missiles are expected to be deployed in Poland this year. That was a Polish condition for a 2008 deal -- backed by both Kaczynski and Tusk -- to host long-range missile defense interceptors.

The deal, which was struck by the Bush administration, angered Russia and was later reconfigured under President Barack Obama's administration.

Under the Obama plan, Poland would host a different type of missile defense interceptors as part of a more mobile system and at a later date, probably not until 2018.

Kaczynski is the first serving Polish leader to die since exiled World War II-era leader Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski in a plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943.

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Saturday, "This is a horrible tragedy for Poland and we extend to the people of Poland our deepest condolences."

Neighboring Germany's foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, said he was "shocked and full of sadness" at Kaczynski's death.

"All the German people are mourning with our Polish neighbors," Westerwelle said during a visit to South Africa.

[The Reaper]

Hmm.

Coincidence?

TR

[Richard]

...Soviet-era Tupolev...

Not me - I'd rather walk or swim.

Richard's $.02

[bandycpa]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Hmm.

Coincidence?

TR

Nope. The older I get, the less I believe in coincidence. To the point now that I don't believe in it at all.

Wonder why all of those high-ranking people were on the same plane?

[charlietwo]

Reflecting the grave sensibilities of the crash to relations between the two countries, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin personally assumed charge of the investigation.

Source--http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...5Bw-AD9F09DQ00

Would Russia have much to gain from the death of the Polish president? Anyone out there sharp on Polish-Russian relations?

[swatsurgeon]

my daughter is in Poland right now taking part in 'the March of the Living', where american jewish kids from all over conus go to Poland to see the concentration camps then on to Israel as an educational experience.....she is there for 4 more days before going to Israel...there are 1500 kids on the trip with parents as well. Hope the borders don't get closed like they used to....

ss

any QPs in the neighborhood????

[Paslode]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Hmm.

Coincidence?http://professionalsoldiers.com/foru...ad.php?t=28445

TR

My tinfoil hat began to spin and I heard the theme to Twilight Zone. You have Russia upset about the Missile Defense system, and it is possible that trading partners and the EU probably weren't too happy about this. All those High Ranking Officials on one plane...which defies common sense. The opponent in the next Polish Presidential Election is now in charge.

It's a conspiracy in the making.


http://blogs.wsj.com/new-europe/2010...-weaken-zloty/

April 9, 2010, 12:18 PM ET

Poland Pulls Trigger to Weaken Zloty

In one of those rare moments of unity, the National Bank of Poland and the Polish government agreed on the need to weaken the Polish zloty, which over recent weeks has rebounded close to its precrisis strength. The currency’s strength is now seen a possible threat to economic recovery. After several verbal interventions over the past few days, the central bank intervened with real money Friday, for the first time in more than a decade.

The bank followed through on its Thursday warnings that it is “technologically and psychologically” prepared to enter the currency market to prevent “excessive strengthening of the zloty.” Government officials also said earlier this week that the “strong zloty” is damaging growth and, after Friday’s intervention, said they fully back the central bank’s move.

Not too long ago economists said “the equilibrium rate,” which you could very roughly translate as “the fair value that’s acceptable for both exporters and importers,” of the zloty is around 3.80 zloty to the euro.

Considering that the zloty has only just approached that level, is it really too strong already? Or are Polish officials back in the mode of trying to improve Poland’s competitiveness by keeping the currency weak and exporters happy, disregarding how the average taxpayer, consumer and traveler feels about the strength of the Polish currency?

The zloty has been highly volatile over the past two years, reaching its strongest level ever at 3.20 zloty against the euro in July 2008 and weakening dramatically during the global financial crisis to near its all-time weakest level of 4.92 zloty in February 2009.

Over the past 14 months, the Polish currency has regained much of its precrisis strength. Late Friday it traded at roughly 3.88 zloty to the euro, down from 3.845 zloty before the intervention.

When the currency was at 3.20 zloty to the euro in 2008, exporters were complaining, but the economy was not contracting at all. That period of a super-strong currency showed that exporters have at least some ability to adjust or hedge — provided the zloty doesn’t fall or rise too quickly.

The real problem with the zloty is not strength or weakness, but its volatility. If the exchange rate was the real problem, as the central bank and the government are trying to make believe, why didn’t they react to the “weak zloty” last year when the rapidly falling currency was one of the most heavily discussed issues, especially given the popularity of foreign currency-denominated loans? Back then, many ordinary Poles found it hard to service their mortgages and yet the finance ministry only started selling its euros in early 2009 when the zloty neared an all-time low and threatened to break through 5.00.

According to some currency traders, the central bank managed to move the zloty down about 1%, buying just €9 million. Analysts put the figure at a more realistic €100 million or even €300 million.

Whatever the amount, the psychological effect was important for investors who were betting on further strengthening and now know the central bank really has its finger on the trigger. That may prevent volatility, but only if the market has reasons to believe the zloty is equally protected from excessive strengthening and weakening. Recent experience implies Polish authorities prefer an undervalued zloty.

[newbie]

Applying STRATFOR analysis to breaking news

Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and 87 other people aboard the presidential jet were killed April 10 after the plane crashed on the approach to the Smolensk airport in western Russia. Some reports have put the death toll as high as 130, though that number has not been officially confirmed. The weather conditions around Smolensk are reported to have been foggy and the plane is believed to have missed the runway on the pilot’s fourth attempt at landing, crashing into nearby trees. According to the Polish Foreign Ministry, also on the plane were Army Chief of Staff Gen. Franciszek Gagor, National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer. The presidential Tu-154 jet was around 20 years old, and there had been discussions in Poland on replacing it, but no replacement had been purchased due to insufficient funding. Kaczynski was on his way to Smolensk to mark the 70-year anniversary of the Katyn massacre, during which Soviet soldiers executed Polish officers. He had refused to attend an earlier Katyn ceremony organized by the Russian government that his prime minister — and domestic rival — Donald Tusk attended with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin only a few days earlier. The purpose of the Russian ceremony was to reset relations between Warsaw and Moscow, but also to drive a wedge between anti-Russian forces in Polish politics — led by Kaczynski — and those open to an accommodation with Russia, led by Tusk. Because of Kaczynski’s outspoken criticism of Russia, his death will undoubtedly spin Warsaw into a frenzy of conspiracy theories ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. Kaczynski was going to face a stiff challenge from Tusk’s ally and the current speaker of the parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski, who will take over the presidency according to the Polish constitution. It is highly likely that Kaczynski’s right-wing nationalist supporters will see the accident as more than just related to foggy conditions, further dividing nationalists and centrists in Poland.

[newbie]

Not saying they did it...but. First georgia is attacked, then the Orange revolution is overturned in Ukraine, then kyrgystan in upheaval with the russians apparently coming out on top...now this. Wouldnt put it past them. They are trying to shore up their boarders. It's common knowledge that the KGB assassinated the Pakistani President, and us ambasador as well as top U.S. and Pakistani Military aides and CIA/ ISI officials when they sabotaged a c-130 carrying all of them during the 80's. It "crashed" into the tribal areas in Pakistan. The guy who investigated it now works for STRATFOR, and he says he KNOWS it was the KGB. my 2 cents.

[The Reaper]

Hmm.

That is two anti-Russian regime changes in less than a week.

If I were a Former Soviet Republic/Eastern Bloc leader who had been antagonizing Moscow, this would have to make me pause and reflect.

What was Putin's previous job, before he went into politics?

TR

[mojaveman]

Could the fact that Poland had a military presence in both Iraq and Afghanistan lead to any other possibilities?

[Wiseman]

RIP to president of Poland, his wife and members of his staff. This is horrible.


newbie,

Are you basing the assertion below based on what Victor Ivanovich Sheymov stated? That is far from common knowledge if it based on one person. Also who is this guy that works for STRATFOR if it is not a big secret?

Originally Posted by newbie

Not saying they did it...but. First georgia is attacked, then the Orange revolution is overturned in Ukraine, then kyrgystan in upheaval with the russians apparently coming out on top...now this. Wouldnt put it past them. They are trying to shore up their boarders. It's common knowledge that the KGB assassinated the Pakistani President, and us ambasador as well as top U.S. and Pakistani Military aides and CIA/ ISI officials when they sabotaged a c-130 carrying all of them during the 80's. It "crashed" into the tribal areas in Pakistan. The guy who investigated it now works for STRATFOR, and he says he KNOWS it was the KGB. my 2 cents.

[newbie]

Wiseman. One of the Lead investigators if the crash of that c-130 in Pakistan, a guy actually on the ground, was a Diplomatic security Service agent named Frank Burton. He now works for STRATFOR. he has a book out called "Ghost"...it's a memoir, a little over the top perhaps, but the guy has tonnes of experience. he was an investigator of the Lockerbie bombing, and the Buckley kidnapping, and other terror attacks. He and his investigative team, on the ground in Pakistan, air force crash investigators, FBI, and maybe ATF (i forget). Bottom line, they found out the plane had a pressure sensitive bomb placed on board, a very complex device for those days, and certainly too complex for local Mujh. Bottom line, it was right when the U.S. and Pakistan had essentially completed the Russian defeat in Afghanistan...So this guy, Fred Burton, believes it was a KGB operation, through and through. Im just saying, im not positive Russians are behind this recent crash, but it seems very plausible...and I am NOT a conspiracy nut...I just know, that historically, Russians, and Putin in particular, are very good, and have the stomach for, getting rid of any opposition. Putin's track record in this regard is probably only matched by Stalin.

[newbie]

Russia's Growing Resurgence
E
VIDENCE OF RUSSIA’S ROLE IN THE OVERTHROW of the Kyrgyz government Wednesday became even clearer Thursday.

Not coincidentally, members of the interim government that the opposition began forming on Wednesday have lengthy and deep ties to Russia. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was not only quick to endorse the new government, but he also offered the opposition Russia’s support — financial or otherwise. Interestingly, Russia on Thursday also sent 150 of its elite paratroopers to its military installation in Kant -– twenty miles from the capital of Bishkek –- leaving a looming suspicion that Russia could step in further to ensure the success of the new government.

Protests take place regularly in Kyrgyzstan. The fact that Wednesday’s protests spun into riots, followed by the seizure then ousting of the government, followed by the installation of a replacement government set to take control — all in less than a 24-hour period — are all clear indicators that this was a highly organized series of events, likely orchestrated from outside the country. Furthering this assumption were reports from STRATFOR sources on the ground that noted a conspicuous Russian FSB presence in the country during the riots. These reports cannot be confirmed, but it is not unrealistic to assume that a pervasive presence of Russian security forces exists in the country.

There are many reasons why Russia decided to target Kyrgyzstan. The country lies in a key geographic location nestled against China and Kazakhstan, and surrounds the most critical piece of territory in all of Central Asia: the Fergana Valley. Whoever controls Kyrgyzstan has the ability to pressure a number of states, including Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan was also the scene of the 2005 Tulip Revolution, which ushered in President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who is now sheltering himself in the southern regions of the country. It was not that Bakiyev was pro-Western like other color revolution leaders in Georgia and Ukraine, but he was available to the highest bidder and the United States was willing to pay.

The United States has maintained a transit center at the Manas International Airport — which serves as a key logistical hub for its operations in Afghanistan — since 2001. Though Russia has four — soon to be five — military installations in Kyrgyzstan, Manas is the only serious U.S. military presence in Central Asia. With a Russian-controlled government coming into power in Bishkek, Moscow now holds the strings over Manas. This gives Russia another lever to use against the United States within the larger struggle between the two powers.

“As of Wednesday, Russia has now added to its repertoire the ability to pull off its own style of color revolution with the toppling of the Kyrgyz government.”

Russia’s main goal within that struggle is to have Western influence pulled back from its former turf — especially in the former Soviet states — and for the United States to accept Russian pre-eminence in the former Soviet sphere. But Russia is not just waiting for the United States to hand over its former turf. Instead, it has been actively resurging back into these countries using a myriad of tools.

Russia has long exerted its influence in the former Soviet states by attempting to ensure their economic reliance on Russia — as an integrated part of each country’s economy, and as an energy provider or energy transporter. This was seen in 2006 when Russia started cutting off energy supplies to Ukraine and also in Lithuania, to force the countries and their supporters in Europe to be more compliant.

Russia proved in 2008 that it was willing to use military force against its former Soviet states by going to war with Georgia. This move was particularly poignant since Georgia also had been a country turned pro-Western via a color revolution, and was pushing for membership into NATO. In early 2010, Russia showed that it could slowly organize forces in Ukraine to be democratically elected, replacing the pro-Western government elected in the Orange Revolution.

As of Wednesday, Russia has now added to its repertoire of tools used in the former Soviet states the ability to pull off its own style of color revolution with the toppling of the Kyrgyz government.

Russia has been systematically tailoring its resurgence into each country of its former sphere according to the country’s circumstances. This has not been quick or easy for Moscow. The overthrow of Kyrgyzstan has been painstakingly planned for nearly a decade to either flip the country back under Moscow’s control, or at least roll back U.S. influence and make the country more pragmatic to the Russian mission.

Russia knows there is no one-size-fits-all plan for its former Soviet states. The Kremlin cannot simply wage war with each country like it did with Georgia, cut off energy supplies like in Lithuania, set up a democratically elected government like in Ukraine or overthrow the government as in Kyrgyzstan. Now and going forward, Russia will tailor the type of influences it uses to each country it wants to control.

[Utah Bob]

I never drive drunk.
I never mix prescription drugs.
I never get on Russian airplanes.