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Top Polish Politician Quoted As Saying Alliance With U.S. Is ‘Worthless’
CNS News ^ | 6/23/2014 | Patrick Goodenough

Posted on 06/23/2014 2:48:58 AM PDT by markomalley

Poland’s government has long been uneasy about the Obama administration’s “reset” of relations with Moscow and its scaling down of a Bush-era missile defense plan, but private comments allegedly by Warsaw’s foreign minister have cast an awkward light on the relationship just weeks after a presidential visit.

Poland’s Wprost newsmagazine on Sunday quoted excerpts of what it said was a recording of a conversation between Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and a Polish lawmaker, in which the Sikorski says the alliance with the U.S. is “worthless.”

The man identified as Sikorski is quoted as saying, “There is no doubt that the policy pursued by the prime minister and the defense minister is wrong. You know that the Polish-American alliance is worthless. It is even harmful, because it creates for Poland a false sense of security.”

The second voice, said to be that of lawmaker and former Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski, asks why.

“Complete bulls**t,” says the first, adding that in the event of a conflict with the Germans or Russians Poland will mistakenly “think that everything is super” because of the close relationship with the Americans. (The speakers uses crude language here to describe the intimacy of that relationship.)

“[We are] suckers, total suckers,” he continues. “The problem in Poland is that we have shallow pride and low self-esteem.”

Wprost said it would release the actual audio clips on Monday or Tuesday, and a government spokeswoman declined to comment until the magazine makes available all illegally-recorded conversations in its possession.

The publication has released a series of snippets of embarrassing conversations involving high-level officials since June 14, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk has suggested he may call elections a year earlier than scheduled in response to the scandal.

A lawmaker in Tusk’s ruling Civic Platform party, Julia Pitera, told Polish television that “the government's foreign policy is not the personal policy of Radoslaw Sikorski.”

“Foreign policy is being carried out well, so I hope this was just a demonstration of stupidity,” she added.

Sikorski, an Atlanticist and former resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, is an ambitious politician who earlier this year was named as a contender for NATO secretary-general. The post eventually went to former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who will succeed Anders Fogh Rasmussen in October.

Last month Poland officially proposed Sikorski as a candidate to succeed European Union (E.U.) foreign policy chief Cathy Ashton.

Firm ally

The release of the alleged Sikorski comments comes less than three weeks after President Obama visited Poland as the E.U. and NATO member marked the 25th anniversary of the end of communism.

The only early response from the administration to Sunday’s report was a tweet by the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Stephen Mull, who said, “I’m not going to comment on alleged content of private conversations. As for our alliance, I think it’s strong.”

Sikorski has not commented publicly to the claims, but retweeted Mull’s message.

Poland has been an active ally of the U.S. It was one of just three countries to participate alongside the U.S. in the 2003 invasion of Iraq – Britain and Australia were the others – and maintained a sizeable troop presence there for longer than most, until an eventual withdrawal late in 2008.

Poland has also been among the leading contributors to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, and one of a very few European members not to apply “caveats” restricting how and where its troops operate there.

The Bush administration selected Poland as the location for interceptor missiles as part of its proposal for a ballistic missile defense (BMD) shield, designed to protect U.S. troops and allies from missile attack by Iran.

The plan to place the silo-based missiles in Poland, and an associated radar facility in the Czech Republic, angered Russia, which claimed the shield was aimed at countering its nuclear deterrent. In response to the proposal, the Kremlin periodically threatened to deploy short-range missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave bordering Poland.

‘Clumsy’

After Obama took office, he launched his touted “reset” of relations with Russia, and in pursuit of that goal later that year abandoned the BMD plan in favor of what it called a “smarter, safer and swifter” approach, focusing on a short- and medium-range missile threat. (Russia continues to oppose the alternative proposal, which inter alia involves a more modest missile defense facility in Poland in 2018.)

At the time when the administration was reviewing its predecessor’s BMD plans in 2009, the Polish government fretted that making concessions to Russia on missile defense would undermine U.S. credibility in those parts of Europe formerly under Soviet domination.

The eventual decision was announced on the day Poland was marking the 70th anniversary of the Red Army’s invasion. Sikorski called it “clumsy.”

Poland’s leaders have invariably regarded Russia as a far more serious potential threat than Iranian missiles. That view was dramatically reinforced by Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea this year, which set off alarm bells in Poland and other countries across eastern Europe.

The U.S. has taken pains to assure Poland and other anxious NATO allies in the region of its commitment to their security, and during his recent visit Obama announced plans for a $1 billion fund to increase U.S. troop rotations in eastern Europe.

His Polish hosts welcomed the news, but also hinted strongly that what Poland really wants is a NATO base on its soil – something which Russia says the alliance pledged not to do when it admitted new members after the Cold War ended.


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1 posted on 06/23/2014 2:48:58 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

‘Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and a Polish lawmaker, in which the Sikorski says the alliance with the U.S. is “worthless.”’

Sikorski is right.


2 posted on 06/23/2014 3:01:29 AM PDT by Foundahardheadedwoman (God don't have a statute of limitations)
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To: Foundahardheadedwoman
"Sikorski is right."

Only when you add Obama in place of U.S.

3 posted on 06/23/2014 3:04:25 AM PDT by DeaconRed (Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country! ! !)
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To: markomalley

With the current cabal in the White House, Foggy Bottom, and Langly, yeah, he’s 100% correct.


4 posted on 06/23/2014 3:31:09 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
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To: markomalley

As was their alliance with France and England. In time of extreme need a nation has only itself to rely on. As, when the need is extreme its allies fear getting dragged under by the drowning victim.


5 posted on 06/23/2014 3:49:58 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: Gen.Blather

“As was their alliance with France and England.”

At least they went to war for Poland; it cost France its freedom. I think Poles today know that such actions wouldn’t be taken by the US; France learned the hard way (leaving NATO and developing its own nuclear arsenal).


6 posted on 06/23/2014 4:00:57 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: Foundahardheadedwoman
Since November 2008 ALL of America's allies are thinking the same way but they gave Obama some rope (slack) with which they were hoping, he would NOT hang himself, unfortunately, he has used that rope on himself and the entire country and the entire Western world as well. History may well judge that it was the Swedes, giving him the Nobel Peace Prize that set off a domino effect which we will pay for dearly. Obama’s Hubris and ignorance are only overshadowed by his incompetence...
7 posted on 06/23/2014 4:15:33 AM PDT by Netz
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To: DeaconRed

‘Only when you add Obama in place of U.S.’

Obama is the driver of US polices toward our former friends. He has insulted them, he has backed out of promises he had made to traditional allies, he has done everything possible to drive a wedge between our country and those countries who have had our backs in the past.

I see no one moving to stop him. At this point, I am no longer certain who would come to our aid when we need it.


8 posted on 06/23/2014 4:50:39 AM PDT by Foundahardheadedwoman (God don't have a statute of limitations)
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To: markomalley

Sikorski is dead-on right.. and it will not improve with Hillary either.


9 posted on 06/23/2014 4:54:00 AM PDT by ScottinVA (If it doesn't include border security, it isn't "reform." It's called "amnesty.")
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To: Netz

I agree with your first statement but must take issue with your second.

Obama’s ignorance and incompetence can only be described that way if you believe that his actions are honest mistakes, that he did not intend for them to have the results they have had.

I believe his actions are a well thought out campaign to isolate our country and destroy any remaining good will our soon to be former allies may have for us. Link these actions in the foreign policy arena to his hallowing out of our military and I think you can not help but see the pattern.


10 posted on 06/23/2014 5:01:12 AM PDT by Foundahardheadedwoman (God don't have a statute of limitations)
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To: Foundahardheadedwoman
If we examine the President's actions from day 1 we do indeed see what appears to be a DELIBERATE pattern of self-destruction for the US however, I am not a Conspiracy person (except in the case of JFK 1963) and part of me despartely wants to believe he is not this sinister, foreign-born, Islamic sleeper, inserted into the halls of US power in order to destroy her.

This is a dilemma I have been wrestling with for years. I guess I chalk up his dismal record to his warped concept of Change for America and his inept abilities. I agree with you though, it does look intentional.

11 posted on 06/23/2014 5:07:24 AM PDT by Netz
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To: Foundahardheadedwoman
Sikorski is right as long as the American electorate is stupid enough to allow the sewer pipe of popular culture from Hollywood and the media think that elections are all about who seems the most cool, fashionable and caring with competence ranking way down the list, if at all.
12 posted on 06/23/2014 5:13:56 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Netz

The baraq team is working to destroy our country.
But don’t forget, his party and his media that put him in power are working with him for the same ends.

And they think none of the aftermath will affect them.

Fools.


13 posted on 06/23/2014 5:14:02 AM PDT by Texas resident (The democrat party is the CPUSA)
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To: markomalley

Through history, Poland has earned the right to trust no one — the hard way.

And I must admit, you shouldn’t trust the Caliph any further than you can throw him.


14 posted on 06/23/2014 5:16:02 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("Compromise" means you've already decided you lost.)
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To: Texas resident

...well I would say they’ve done an excellent job thus far. Of course they’ll just say it was GW Bush’s fault. Serously, I never thought Carter could be outdone but there you go.
Around the world, they’re scratching their heads that the American people elected this Do-Do bird twice!


15 posted on 06/23/2014 5:21:29 AM PDT by Netz
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To: markomalley
Obama screwing our allies. Who would have thunk it.
16 posted on 06/23/2014 5:45:10 AM PDT by McGruff (What if we bombed our own citizens?)
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To: Vigilanteman

I do not see any of the things you mentioned changing in the foreseeable future. In fact, I believe that it will get worse.


17 posted on 06/23/2014 5:49:22 AM PDT by sport
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To: sport
We need things to get bad enough to wake enough people up and, at the same time, a leader like Ronald Reagan to come along to show us an alternative way out of this mess.

Read the book of Revalations (Apocalypse in the Catholic Bible) and understand that it isn't over until our side wins.

18 posted on 06/23/2014 6:00:47 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: kearnyirish2

“At least they went to war for Poland; it cost France its freedom. “

I can’t argue. I do think France was going down regardless. It amazes me that they’d spent so much money infectively. (I worked for the military division of Schlumberger. The companies essentially tell the military what they’re going to build and France buys it. Based on my experience with their equipment I wouldn’t use French anything. But that is neither here nor there.) Essentially, no country can rely on any other country for its existence. Obama has proven that. I expect that South Korea, Taiwan and Japan are busy building their own nuclear umbrellas right now. It’s ironic that Mr. Nobel Peace Prize will be responsible for the biggest nuclear arms race to date.


19 posted on 06/23/2014 6:22:53 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: DeaconRed

Yeah, he’s right - an alliance with the USA IS worthless if leftists are in power,

because they inherently treat our friends as enemies and our enemies as friends.

They get it wrong EVERY TIME.


20 posted on 06/23/2014 6:26:42 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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