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On 3 December 2007 a curious item appeared in the Russian media. It concerned Igor Ivanovich Sechin, a Russian political figure close to then President Vladimir Putin. Kommersant [2] featured a quote from Oleg Shvartsman, head of the Financial-Industrial Group: "For us, the Party is represented by the power bloc headed by Igor Ivanovich [Sechin]." This statement was offered in response to a journalist's question about Shvartman's strategic task of velvet re-privatization. "Who set this task for you?" asked the journalist. Shvartsman's extraordinary answer slipped inadvertently from his post-Soviet lips: "The party! (laughing)." On 3 December 2007 a curious item...

"The pilots ignored all the warnings by the aircraft autromatic safety systems and took excessive risk. Why? They had been taught to do so", says Mr. Klich, the head of the Polish investigative committee. The airport near Smolensk had no guidance system for the aircraft ILS. They should have quit landing when seeing not the runway at altitude 100 m - the missed approach minimum. (MAM) Mr. Klich revealed that the voice recording show that the pilots were deliberately lowing the plane below MAM. There are commands: "90 meters", "80 meters". Klich emphasized that the crew received automated warnings from...

As Polish President Lech Kaczynski's plane streaked toward disaster, at least two passengers visited the cockpit, others may have chatted on cellular phones that can obstruct navigation instruments and an under-trained crew faced heavy fog over challenging terrain.

Russia was last night facing claims of a cover up over the Polish presidential air crash after a series of shocking allegations emerged concerning the doomed Tupolev-154 in which head of state Lech Kaczynski died. Most extraordinary was the emergence of confusing footage which claimed to show the shooting of survivors by armed Russian-speaking men minutes after the crash. The video, posted on the internet in recent days, has fuelled conspiracy theories suggesting that the crash was not an accident.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the brother of the late president Lech and himself currently a presidential hopeful, has started off his campaign run with a video message… to the Russians. The video was released at a press conference which was not attended by Jaroslaw Kaczynski himself, however. The release of the video coincided with the VE parades in Moscow, where Jaroslaw Kaczynski's brother, Lech, was due to attend. “The reaction of feelings and sympathy of millions of Russians has been acknowledged and felt by Poles. Thank you for every tear shed, every candle lit, for every word of comfort,” Kaczynski says in...

The twin brother of Poland's former president, who was killed in a plane crash in Russia this month, says he will run to be elected in his place. Jaroslaw Kaczynski said he would stand in the 20 June presidential election despite his "personal pain", in order to continue his brother's mission. Lech Kaczynski was killed in a plane crash in western Russia on 10 April, along with many Polish dignitaries. The two brothers founded the Law and Justice party in 2001. Possible sympathy vote In a statement on the party's website on Monday, Mr Kaczynski said: "Poland is our common,...

Poles draw strength from tragic past By Oana Lungescu BBC News, Warsaw Although in mourning for the loss of life in the Russian air disaster, young Poles are philosophical about Poland's ability to pull through this crisis. It was late in the evening, but in a scruffy building in south-west Warsaw, groups of young people - some holding babies - were huddled in urgent meetings. Polish scouts from the local district organisation were preparing for another day of national mourning. I had noticed them since the weekend of the fatal crash. In their distinctive green uniforms, they stood guard outside...

Reaction to tragedy showcases changes in Polish-Jewish relations By Ruth Ellen Gruber · April 20, 2010 ROME (JTA) -- The Jewish reaction to the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and dozens of other senior Polish officials in an air tragedy highlights a remarkable change in how the Jewish world views Poland. The prayers, public statements and personal tributes, including a special remembrance during the March of the Living, were normal expressions of grief and solidarity for a close friend and ally -- in short, heartfelt sentiments that probably could not have been made 20 or even 15 years ago....

The volcanic ash that brought European air travel to a standstill forced the cancellation of President Barack Obama's weekend trip to attend the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski. As understandable as Mr. Obama's inability to travel to Krakow was, his choice of alternative activity boggles the mind. Seeing the sudden opening in his schedule, he and three companions headed to the links for a round of golf. This is just the latest in a growing list of missteps, inappropriate behavior and downright odd choices by a president who seems to not only lack basic social graces when it comes...

Eastern Europe comes together to mourn Poland’s President Roger Boyes, Krakow At precisely 17.07 today, the 18-tonne bell of Saint Sigismund pealed out and Poland fell silent. The 16th-century bell is rung only at moments of national joy or national tragedy. Today it marked the end of a week of mourning for President Lech Kaczynski, long days of public grief that have set Poles thinking about their future in Europe and their uneasy relationship with Russia. “Today the bell knells for the reconciliation of Pole with Pole,“ said Bronislaw Komorowski, the Speaker of parliament, addressing dozens of leaders at the...

Poland says goodbye to president 18.04.2010 Around 90,000 gathered in Krakow for the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski and First Lady Maria. After the funeral ceremony at St Mary's, which began at 14.00 CET, the funeral procession will begin at 15.30, making its way to Wawel Castle where, at 16.30, the coffins will be put into the specially built tomb. Though president’s from the US, Germany and top European officials cancelled their trips to Poland following the persistence of the ash cloud over Polish air space, leaders from Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Morocco and Azerbaijan are in the southern Polish city....

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Obama cancels Poland trip due to volcano fallout The Associated Press Saturday, April 17, 2010; 2:56 PM WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has canceled plans to travel to Poland for the funeral of President Lech Kaczynski (lekh kah-CHIN'-skee). A White House statement Saturday cited hazardous flying conditions posed by the ash cloud from the erupting volcano in Iceland. The cloud has forced huge portions of European airspace to be closed. The fear is that microscopic particles of highly abrasive ash could endanger passengers by causing aircraft engines to fail. Obama was to leave Washington on Saturday night for Sunday's state...

President Lech Kaczynski and his beloved wife Maria will rest tommorow in the Wawel Castle in Krakow - the final resting place of Poland’s medieval kings and national heroes - the heart of Poland - close to Jozef Pilsudski (the leader of pre-war Poland).

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"I don't think it was done intentionally. I excluded such a possibility, but it was an unfortunate coincidence, yes." Those haunting words were of "lifelong skeptic of Russia" Lech Kaczynski, the late president of Poland. Kaczynski discussed with Brett Baier of Fox News the unusual concurrence of President Obama reversing the Bush administration's U.S. Patriot missile defense decision on the 70th anniversary of Russia invading Poland. In 2008, the United States and Poland sealed a deal that in 2010, ten interceptor missiles would be deployed to a military base near the Baltic coast. The missiles were due to be situated...

Poland holds public memorial for crash victims By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and MATT MOORE (AP) – 1 hour ago WARSAW, Poland — Some 100,000 Poles filled Warsaw's biggest public square Saturday, joining together for a memorial and funeral mass for the 96 people killed in a plane crash a week earlier. They stood silent for two minutes before emergency sirens screamed and church bells pealed. The crowd in Pilsudski Square waved white-and-red Polish flags with black ribbons of mourning affixed to them. A massive white stage, a large cross in the center, was flanked by oversized photos of the dead, including...

If anyone knows Russian or Polish, can you verify what the person with the camera is saying. If this is a true undercover taping, this could be horrible to think of the consequences.

Polish internet users are shocked by Belgian cartoons on Kaczynski death Published 14 April, 2010, 20:06 Poland is disturbed by a Belgian newspaper’s cartoons on the recent deadly plane crash, in which died Polish president Lech Kazcynski, his wife and dozens of Polish political, cultural and religious elite. Yahoo StumbleUpon Google Live Technorati del.icio.us Digg Reddit Mixx Propeller On Monday, Gazet van Antwerpen published a cartoon picturing an eagle (Poland’s’ emblem) with the Polish flag as a background and phrase "The Eagle Has Landed," reports RMF FM. The drawing has drawn infuriated feedback from Polish speakers all over the world....