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Text of US-Polish declaration By The Associated Press 2008-08-21 03:01 AM Text of the "Declaration on Strategic Cooperation Between the United States of America and the Republic of Poland" agreed by the two countries alongside a deal to place a U.S. missile defense base in Poland. The text was provided to the media by the U.S. State Department. "In Warsaw on August 20, 2008, the Secretary of State and the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Poland agreed to issue the following Declaration: The United States of America (the United States) and the Republic of Poland (Poland) share...

Mine kills three Polish soldiers in Afghanistan 21 August 2008 | 00:09 | FOCUS News Agency Warsaw. An exploding mine killed three Polish soldiers in Afghanistan Wednesday, seriously injuring a fourth member of their patrol, the Polish army told PAP news agency. The blast happened about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from their Ghazni base in central Afghanistan, Major Jacek Poplawski told the agency. The wounded soldier, part of a 1,200-strong Polish contingent attached to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), was transported by helicopter to another base at Bagram, he added. Polish troop numbers in Afghanistan are due to rise...

Poland says U.S. shield deal hinges on Patriots Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:17pm BST WARSAW/VILNIUS (Reuters) - Poland is insisting on the permanent stationing of a U.S. Patriot battery on its soil as a condition for hosting part of a anti-missile defence shield, its defence minister was quoted as saying on Friday. Washington wants to install 10 interceptor missiles in Poland, a NATO ally, as part of the shield project, which aims to protect the United States and its allies from attack by so-called "rogue states" and terrorist groups. In return, Warsaw wants hefty U.S. investments to upgrade its air...

Poland's loyalty to US a one-way street? 10.07.2008 The Poles feel that their country is not perceived as an equal partner by the Americans in terms of politics, which translates to waning enthusiasm for the United States. By Aleksander Kropiwnicki Do Poles still love America? According to some publicists, their attitude to the US is definitely getting less enthusiastic. Warsaw still wants to see America as its partner but not a Big Brother. Poland has never been rewarded for its assistance in Iraq. Washington is reluctant to help significantly in modernising the Polish army, even though it’s keen to situate...

... "The United States recognizes the need for Polish forces to be modernized," Bush told reporters. He said "before my watch is over" -- he leaves office in January 2009. ...

Poland remains loyal in Afghanistan 08.02.2008 Poland will strengthen its troops in Afghanistan, informs RZECZPOSPOLITA. Review by Aleksander Kropiwnicki As Bogdan Klich, the Polish Defense Minister announced last Thursday during the NATO meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, by July 2008 the number of Polish soldiers based in Afghanistan would be as high as 1600. ‘NATO cannot lose in Afghanistan if it doesn’t want to cause a new wave of terrorist attacks in the West’, warned in Vilnius Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the General Secretary of NATO, quoted by RZECZPOSPOLITA. All the Polish troops in Afghanistan will be concentrated in one region...

REDZIKOWO, Poland - Among the people living around this disused Polish air base, there is little enthusiasm for the missile interceptor station likely to be built here as part of a U.S. missile defense system. Poland's new government is sounding increasingly skeptical about the plan, arguing that it won't boost Polish security, and that sentiment is echoed throughout this farming region near the Baltic Sea coast. The main fear is that the area will become a target for retaliation by Russia, which vigorously opposes President Bush's plan. "If they build the missile defense base here, it'll be a magnet and...

Poland not deserting Iraq, says PM Tuesday, October 9. 2007 Poland should leave Iraq as part of a political plan and wait for a move on the part of the allies, especially keeping an eye on what happens after elections in the USA, Poland’s Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński has told Polish Radio. He was reacting to the recent series of attacks on the Polish embassy in Baghdad. “We should leave the Iraq within a framework of a political plan, and not run away or desert because this would mean that we lose everything we already gained there. And we will...

Wounded Polish ambassador to be woken up from artificial coma Sunday, October 7. 2007 The state of Poland’s ambassador to Iraq, Gen. Edward Pietrzyk, wounded in a bomb attack in Bagdad last week, remains serious but is improving. The diplomat is being gradually brought out of the an artificial coma. For two days now, Pietrzyk is hospitalised in the Grievous Burns Cure Centre in Gryfice, northern Poland. Head of the institution Andrzej Krajewski said that the patient’s state is improving from hour to hour and that there is no immediate threat to his life now. Doctor Krajewski added that in...

More Polish soldiers leave for Afghanistan Sunday, October 7. 2007 220 soldiers of the second shift of the Polish Military Contingent in Afghanistan have departed from Wrocław airport, Poland. The group consisted of soldiers from the 17th Mechanised Brigade in Międzyrzecze and the 6th Airborne Brigade in Krakow. At the airport they were bidden farewell by their families and the representatives of the military authorities. In a speech to the leaving soldiers, first deputy of the head of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Gen. Mieczysław Stachowiak pointed out that the second shift of the Polish contingent was...

WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 18 U.S. automaker General Motors announced plans to rebuild the FSO manufacturing plant in Poland and make it Europe's biggest Chevrolet producer. Peter Forster, chief executive officer of General Motors Europe, said the company wants to make cars in Poland for the next 25 years or more, a Polish Radio report said. GM plans to produce 400,000 Chevrolet vehicles annually. Earlier this month, GM announced it paid $254.5 million for 40 percent of FSO shares.

Poland commits to one more year in Afghanistan Wednesday, September 19. 2007 The Polish Defense Ministry has accepted President Lech Kaczynski’s motion to prolong the presence of Polish soldiers in Afghanistan for another year. Previously, Polish forces were to leave Afghanistan in mid-October. The new motion prolongs their presence until October, 31, 2008, informs the Government Information Centre. There are around 1100 Polish forces currently stationed in Afghanistan, mainly in the eastern provinces.

Poland plans to extend troops' presence Afghanistan WARSAW (AFP) — Polish Defence Minister Aleksander Szczyglo said Thursday he had asked for government approval to keep 1,200 Polish soldiers in Afghanistan deployed there into 2008. The PAP news agency said he made the announcement during a visit to Kabul. The Polish force in Afghanistan operates under NATO's 36,000-strong International Security Assistance Force and handle security in the southeast Ghazni and Patika provinces. Their elite units are also stationed in Kandahar in the south of the country. According to a June poll, 78 percent of Poles disapprove of Poland's continued military role...

How dangerous is Afghanistan? 16.08.2007 After the Polish forces suffered their first fatality in Afghanistan, Poles back home start to wonder how dangerous it for the army there. Agnieszka Bielaqska reports Poland suffered the first loss since joining the NATO led force in Afghanistan on August 14. A Polish soldier was killed when a his troop came under fire from unknown assailants. A military salute bade farewell to 28 year old Lukasz Kurowski, during a mass in the Warsaw cathedral on August 15th , celebrating the Polish Army day. Second Lieutenant Lukasz Kurowski was taking part in a joint patrol...

Polish soldier killed in Afghanistan 14.08.2007 A Polish soldier has been killed in Afghanistan. The 28-year-old lieutenant was wounded after shots were fired at his patrol, and died as he was being transported to hospital. This is the first Polish soldier killed in the mission to Afghanistan. The Polish contingent there, which is part of the Nato-led ISAF mission, numbers about 1100 troops, based in provinces Ghazni and Paktika.

No reward for Poland's strong support of U.S. policies Warsaw, Poland August 6, 2007 U.S. President George W. Bush signed an anti-terrorism bill into law on Friday. Among other provisions, the law allows visa-less entries into the U.S. for citizens of certain countries, but not for Polish citizens. The issue is a touchy one in Poland because successive Polish Governments and Presidents have lobbied the U.S. to eliminate visa restrictions on Poles, thus far with no success. In the current bill, Czech citizens will have visa requirements lifted. Poland has been a strong ally of U.S. war efforts in both...

Poland plans formal alliance with U.S. www.chinaview.cn 2007-07-19 22:31:56 WARSAW, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Poland plans to make formal its alliance with the United States in an agreement regarding the possible deployment of a U.S. missile defense shield, the country's security chief said Thursday. "We would like to have a sort of written and binding agreement," Wladyslaw Stasiak, the head of the National Security Bureau, was quoted by the PAP news agency as saying. During negotiations between Warsaw and Washington, the two sides mainly discussed the status of the missile defense base and "a broader security context," he said. As...

POLAND PREZ A TRUE-BLUE ALLY By CHARLES HURT, Washington Bureau Chief July 17, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Poland's leader yesterday stood solidly behind President Bush and warned that a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq now would be like the disastrous pullout from Vietnam in the 1970s. "We need to remain there, in spite of the fact that it is very costly and very painful," Polish President Lech Kaczynski told The Post in an interview during his visit to D.C. last night. Poland, a close U.S. ally, has maintained about 1,000 troops in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. A withdrawal "brings significant...

Polish soldier killed in Iraq, Warsaw says Apr 21, 2007, 9:51 GMT Warsaw - A Polish soldier was killed and four were wounded in an explosion during a night-time patrol in central Iraq, the Defence Ministry said Saturday. The ministry said the soldier, 25, was on a joint patrol of Polish forces and Iraqi police in the central province of Diwaniya when the blast occurred. He became the 25th Polish national to be killed in Iraq, where Poland's military has been participating in the multinational forces since September 2003. Some 750 Polish soldiers are currently on duty in Iraq, with...

Before they were deployed to Afhganistan (last month) Polish elite troops had done some manouvres in Polish Tatra mountains. You can see them on the set of pictures posted belowe (it's probably GROM) Soldiers also had to "fight" they first "battle", as Polish ecologist wanted to prevent the military from taking that training, as they maintained - it would harm ... chamois. Useful idiots as usually

Polish Iraq mission may go on offensive -president 05 Apr 2007 13:07:51 GMT Source: Reuters WARSAW, April 5 (Reuters) - Poland may be forced to strengthen its military mission in Iraq and order it on the offensive more in response to recent attacks on its base there, President Lech Kaczynski said on Thursday. "Our base has been frequently shot at recently, so we may have to change the character (of the mission) to more offensive," Kaczynski told a news conference. "If someone thinks that this is the way to force Poles out of Iraq, he's wrong." Poland now has about...

GROM troops set of for Afghanistan 19.02.2007 A farewell ceremony for soldiers of Poland’s elite unit GROM who will serve in Afghanistan has been held at Rembertow near Warsaw. Defense minister Aleksander Szczyglo said their mission is a realization of Poland’s obligations as a NATO member. Polish troops, who are taking part in the NATO operation codenamed ISAF, will cooperate within a multinational contingent and also with the United States. Upon arrival, they will adapt to the climate for several weeks. GROM unit commander colonel Piotr Patalong said their tasks in Afghanistan will be dangerous but they are well prepared...

Poland sends special troops to Afghanistan WARSAW: Soldiers from Poland’s Operational Mobile Reaction Group (GROM) will leave for Afghanistan soon to support other Polish units there, reported the Polish news agency PAP. The troops on Monday received an official farewell from Defence Minister Aleksander Szczyglo and military Chief of Staff General Franciszek Gagor. Established on July 13, 1990, GROM is a special unit of the Polish army, which can also serve in counter-terrorist operations. Currently, there are over 100 Polish soldiers in Afghanistan, and the Polish government last year vowed to send 1,000 more in the first half of 2007....

Poland earmarks unfettered troops for Afghan mission Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen Published: Monday, March 12, 2007 OTTAWA -- Canada is grateful Poland is sending 1,000 troops to southern Afghanistan, but the Eastern European country is banking on a much stronger thank you from its NATO allies - protection from what it sees as growing threats from Russia. "It's not a gesture. It's an obligation. We are a member of an alliance. We feel it was our duty to respond," Witold Waszczykowski, Poland's top foreign affairs bureaucrat, explained in an exclusive interview about his country's decision to help...

What's in it for Poland? Despite disapproval, it will stay in Iraq to keep U.S. on its side MATTHEW McALLESTER February 18, 2007 PROCHNIK, Poland - One grave stands out in the tiny, unfenced village cemetery. Andrzej Zielke's plot is the only one enclosed by an ironwork fence and the only one with a small bench that sits in front of flickering candles and the black, broken heart of a headstone. "He died tragically executing a fighting order in the second change of the Polish military contingent in Iraq," reads the inscription, in Polish, on the broken heart, which is...

Poles to ‘stay the course’ in Iraq 08.02.2007 Despite the death of another Polish soldier in Iraq, the government says it intends to fulfill its mission as part of the coalition. Rafal Kipuszewski reports Another Polish soldier serving in Iraq has been killed when a military vehicle on its way between two allied bases hit a booby trap. This is the 19th to be killed in action, as the country struggles to maintain stability with the assistance of US-led forces, in which Poland has been taking an active part. A Polish convoy driving from the Scania military base in Nippur...

Polish soldier killed in Iraq 07.02.2007 A Polish soldier has been killed in Iraq and three others suffered minor injuries in the wake of a road side improvised explosive device. The incident occurred some 30 kilometers from Divaniya. The brings the death toll suffered by the Polish army since the war began in Iraq in 2003 to 19.

Killers of Polish solder arrested in Iraq 11.01.2007 Police in Iraq has arrested two men responsible for the killing of a Polish soldier in Madul in 2004 – informed press spokesman for the International Division, lt col Dariusz Kasperczyk. He said that the arrest was carried out by a special force from Hilla. The men, who during police interrogations admitted to the killing of the Polish soldier, were part of a criminal group charged with attacks on civilians.

1200 Polish troops on Iraqi mission till end 2007 22.12.2006 President Lech Kaczynski has approved a government motion to extend Poland’s military presence in Iraq till end 2007. However, the decision does not exclude the possibility of an earlier pullout should sufficient security conditions in the country permit. The Polish contingent is to number 1200 troops and auxiliary personnel. 900 soldiers are to serve in Iraq, while the remaining 300 will constitute a reserve force stationed in Poland.

Poland's government asks president to extend Iraq mission to end of 2007 The Associated Press Published: 2006-12-19 10:10:14 WARSAW, Poland: Poland's government asked the president Tuesday to prolong the mission of Poland's 900 troops in Iraq by a year until the end of 2007. The current mission was originally due to last until Dec. 31, 2006. But the government of Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on its Web site that it had sent a letter to President Lech Kaczynski, his twin brother, formally requesting the 12-month extension. The president will decide on the matter within the next few days, senior...

Hohenfels training gets Polish troops ready for deployment to Afghanistan By Nancy Montgomery, Stars and Stripes European edition, Monday, December 18, 2006 HOHENFELS, Germany — Three months after NATO’s top commander pleaded for more troops in Afghanistan, just weeks after army generals discussed it in a Heidelberg hotel, Pvt. Krystian Belski had his boots planted in the Hohenfels mud. The Polish private, with his AK-74, helped fend off a pretend ambush that followed a mock roadside bomb explosion. He was with other soldiers from the 18th Airborne Battalion training this month at the Joint Multi-National Training Center to prepare for...

Euphrates VIII – Maneuvers of Polish Army units before deployment of the 8th shift to Iraq 34th Armored Cavalry Brigade, 11th Lubuska Armored Cavalry Division, 25th Airborne Cavalry Brigade, 49th Assault Helicopter Regiment exercising in Zagan (Poland) before their deployment to Iraq.

U.S. Honors Polish Military Officers for Service in Iraq 4 December 2006 On December 1, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe and Commander of the Polish Land Forces Command, Lieutenant General Skrzypczak, awarded five Polish army officers with U.S. military medals for their service in Iraq. The awardees were: Major General Piotr Czerwiñski, awarded the Legion of Merit; Brigadier General Andrzej Malinowski, awarded the Meritorious Service Medal; Brigadier General Wlodzimierz Potasinski, awarded the Meritorious Service Medal; Brigadier General Miroslaw Rozmus, awarded the Meritorious Service Medal; and Colonel Ryszard Gardy, awarded the Bronze Star. “These awards are among the highest that...

Mission not yet accomplished 08.12.2006 Polish President Lech Kaczynski looks set to extend Poland’s mission in Iraq to the end of 2007. Bogdan Zaryn has more Polish troops have been in Iraq for the past 36 months, providing the third largest contingent next to the US and the UK. The seventh contingent presently serving numbers 900 men. It was supposed to end its tour of duty in January or February. But press speculations about Defense Minister Sikorki’s assessment of the Polish presence in Iraq suggest that Poland may extend its stay till the end of 2007. Piotr Paszkowski from the...

Strong ties with US top priority for Poland By Mary Sibierski Nov 27, 2006, 9:50 GMT Warsaw - From its rock-solid backing of the controversial US-led 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq to being a potential location for the overseas portion of the US National Missile Defence (NMD) project, EU newcomer and NATO member Poland has consistently made a priority of cultivating close relations with Uncle Sam. Poland's pro-US policy predates by decades the January 2003 allusion by outgoing US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to a 'New Europe' composed of ex-communist states more favourably disposed to the US than what...

Exotic Alliance BBC Monitoring 20 November 2006 Polish policymakers persist in the mistaken belief that Warsaw has an autonomous role to play in U.S. strategy towards Europe and the post-Soviet zone, a Polish analyst writes. This commentary by Olaf Osica appeared on the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita's website on 28 October. The shift in Warsaw's image in Washington and in U.S. policy in Poland is a fact. The language being used to describe our mutual relations has already changed, and a change in politics will follow. By constraining discussion to the grievances, apt or unjustified, being leveled against U.S. politicians, we...

Polish troops in Iraq may stay longer than expected 15.11.2006 Earlier this year Poland has gone on record saying that it intends on pulling out of the stabilization mission in Iraq by the end of December. But Polish Premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski has suggested that Poland can’t invest a lot in something and then suddenly pull out. Press speculations suggest that he is going to ask the President to extend Poland’s mission in Iraq. Story by Bogdan Zaryn Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski questions Poland’s eventual pullout from Iraq by saying that Poland has invested too much in the mission in Iraq...

WARSAW, Poland: Poland will deploy some 1,200 troops in Afghanistan by February and will allow them to operate in the volatile southern provinces where allied troops are battling Taliban insurgents, Defense Minister Radek Sikorski said Friday. The troops will be based mainly in eastern Afghanistan, but could be used anywhere in the country to help allied forces, Sikorski said. "They will have their area of responsibility and their area of operations, but if there is an operational need to reinforce our allies, including our British allies, (we) have told our soldiers they have no political restrictions on where they move,"...

America's rejection of President George W. Bush's Iraq policy is a slap in the face for his allies, but it may give British premier Tony Blair a chance to improve his standing at home by discussing exit options. Blair has been derided and rebuked by critics in Britain as the U.S. President's "poodle" for giving staunch backing to a war which is hugely unpopular with British voters and has overshadowed achievements during Blair's 9 years in power. The Republicans' crushing mid-term election defeat toppled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, giving Bush the opportunity to change course. Now Blair may have a...

S. Security Assistance to Poland Remains Strong Office of Defense Cooperation U.S. Embassy Warsaw, Poland October 30, 2006 For over a decade, Poland has remained a vital, strategic partner of the U.S. Our Armed Forces have cooperated to enhance security and economic prosperity in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. As a key ally, Poland has received substantive assistance through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF), International Military Education and Training (IMET), Excess Defense Article (EDA), Counter-Terrorism Fellowship (CTFP), and Joint Contact Team Programs (JCTP). These programs, which are executed by the Office of Defense Cooperation in the U.S. Embassy,...

The Polish-U.S. relations were one of the pillars of Poland's position in the world, and of "our identity in an international sense," Polish PM Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Tuesday. Kaczynski made these remarks at a press conference following his meeting with the former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Kaczynski praised Giuliani as an outstanding man who had a spectacular success in fighting crime in New York, and one who played a very important role during the tragic days of September 2001. He said that his talks with Giuliani focused on the political situation in Iraq and Ukraine. "It concerned current...

Embassy Events 2006 Statement Honoring the Contributions of Poland in Afghanistan and Iraq Made in the U.S. House of Representatives 25 September 2006 On September 20, Representative Daniel Lipinski of Illinois made a statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives honoring the contributions of Poland in Afghanistan and Iraq. “Poland has been a steadfast ally of the United States, and I thank the Polish people and government for their friendship,” said Representative Lipinski. Representative Lipinski recently met with the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Gagor, during his visit to the U.S. Full...

Official: U.S. military ties remain strong with Poland By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes European edition, Sunday, October 1, 2006 ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. military partnership with Poland is historic and strong, and suggestions that Warsaw is continually seeking money from Washington in exchange for putting bases on Polish soil is wrong, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England. England, in a letter-to-the-editor published in Stars and Stripes Friday, reacted to a Sept. 22 story in Stripes. In the story, an unnamed U.S. defense official was quoted as telling the newspaper that the Pentagon has lost interest in establishing...

Polish Troops To Make Up Bulk Of Afghan Reinforcements: Nato Published: 9/26/2006 BRUSSELS - Poland is to supply most of the extra combat troops sought by NATO to tackle the insurgency in southern Afghanistan, with the first group due in position shortly, a NATO spokesman said Tuesday. "It is for Poland to time the deployment," the spokesman said, but he added "the initial elements of that battalion will be going in relatively soon and will continue to flow into the country until early next year." Polish leaders pledged earlier this month to boost the country's contribution to the NATO-led International...

Taliban warns Poland on troops for Afghanistan WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is investigating a warning by Taliban rebels against sending more troops to beef up its tiny force with the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, the PAP news agency reported on Saturday. "Such information appears on the Web, and our special services are naturally investigating, but nothing serious is happening," PAP quoted Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski as saying. He was responding to a report in the newspaper Zycie Warszawy that a warning by the Taliban was posted on a Web site operated by Russia's Chechen separatists. "We appeal to the Polish...

Poland is willing to host U.S. missile defense site By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes Online edition, Friday, September 22, 2006 ARLINGTON, Va. – In seeking to host a U.S. base, Poland has some leverage: It and the Czech Republic are the only two countries willing to host a U.S. missile defense site, which U.S. planners would like to see installed as soon as 2011. The space-based interceptors are supposed to protect the U.S. and its allies against nuclear or nonnuclear long-range missiles fired by from rogue states such as North Korea and Iran. Nine interceptors have been installed at...

U.S., Poland: Creating -- and Supplying -- a Garrison Country September 22, 2006 16 02 GMT Summary This week, Polish President Lech Kaczynski met with U.S. President George W. Bush while in New York for the U.N. General Assembly opening. The exchange came at a crucial time for both U.S. and eastern European interests, and on the heels of a Washington visit by Lech's twin, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The United States is determined to find basing for its missile defense interceptors in central or eastern Europe, and Poland, feeling threatened as always, is determined to insulate its territory and...

Polish Leader Defends Pope, Urges Communication By ALEX STOROZYNSKI - Special to the Sun September 21, 2006 President Kaczynski of Poland defended Pope Benedict XVI in an interview with The New York Sun, saying the Islamic world was "a little too easily offended" at the pontiff's comments. Mr. Kaczynski said a serious dialogue with the Islamic world should take place but that "there have to be principles of sensitivity that are equal for all sides." The reaction among Muslims to the pope's use of a medieval quotation referring to Islam as a violent religion has caused a worldwide uproar. Recent...

Poland to send first troops to Afghanistan this week WARSAW, Sep 19 (Reuters) Poland will deploy the first wave of a promised new contingent of NATO soldiers to Afghanistan this week, earlier than previously announced, a military official said today. Poland, responding to an NATO call for reinforcements, said last week it would send 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan but said they would not be on the ground until next February. Alliance sources said NATO would try to persuade Poland to send troops earlier to help quell the heaviest bout of violence in Afghanistan since US-led forces overthrew the Taliban...

"My musimy pamietac" - "we must remember" - was the message at Saturday's annual memorial ceremony for the Polish soldiers killed in the 1940 Katyn massacre. This year's ceremony also remembered those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, including those killed at the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers once stood directly behind the Katyn Massacre statue, which depicts a Polish soldier falling after being stabbed in the back by a bayonet mounted on a rifle. In 1940, Soviet troops - who invaded Poland after agreeing to divide the country with Nazi Germany...