Polish President and 132 others killed in plane crash

[Rukas]

Damn, masta, fill me in buddy...

Im already hearing Russia had something to do with it? Plane was inspected by Russians and went down in Russian airspace or something?

 

[ArtsyGirl]

holy shit..

 

[Rukas]

The President, leader of the Army, Foreign Minister, other ministers, head of the national bank, and a bunch of others, and their families.

What a tragedy.

 

[Bobby Sands]

just read this now. shocking

RIP

 

[Casey]

Damn, thats fucked up.

I hope it was just an accident and not foul play.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

I saw that this morning. Crazy stuff :|

 

[ArtsyGirl]

They are saying pilot error.

 

[Flipmo]

Funny how they were heading to the Katyn massacre memorial where more than 22 000 Polish died under Russian hands. Now, Poland is still looking for compensation from Russia for its occupation during WW2. Isn't this the same Polish President who claimed thet're ready to face any Russian threat? Tensions betwwen Russia and Poland as of late haven't been at their best.

I'm not exactly saying that Russia has anything to do with it, but it is pretty coincidental.

Either way, RIP - I read 85 mostly highly ranked officials were on board. Horrible. May peace be with them.

 

[Duke]

Wow, that's pretty heavy. Half your governmental top gets fucked in one plane crash.

Don't think the Russians "did it", though. It's not 1940 anymore.

 

[masta247]

Yeah I couldn't believe it at first but all TV stations are talking about it now.

It's said that it was our president who forced our pilot to land elsewhere (he often tried to do this before - for example in Geogria but pilots refused) - they were supposed to land in Moscow or Minsk but he forced the pilot to land near Smolensk on a small airfield which was not really ready for their plane. Plus it was foggy.
So actually most people blame that pilot who wasn't assertive enough.

And people from the passenger list who died: Our president, his wife, all important leaders of our military, head of the national bank and some others which were "set" by our president, a lot of important politicians - heads of senate and parliament as well as friends of our president, even people from olimpic committee, leaders of various national groups like institute of national memory, human rights, heads of our Church, many important "older" people of WWII and that's what I can remember from the top of my head.
If I had to say what I think - well, while this was a huge tragedy let's say that most people who died weren't really popular amongst Polish people. Most of these people were who they were because of good relations with our president who made them leaders of whatever they were leading. While we'll have national mourning for a week or so I'm sure many Polish people will have mixed feelings about this. And I don't think many will blame the Russians. At least I think it was only our president's and pilot's fault.

Oh and reelections will be announced within 2 weeks.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Vladimir Putin to lead investigation.

 

[S O F I]

Very unfortunate.

 

[Rukas]

Yeah I couldn't believe it at first but all TV stations are talking about it now.

It's said that it was our president who forced our pilot to land elsewhere (he often tried to do this before - for example in Geogria but pilots refused) - they were supposed to land in Moscow or Minsk but he forced the pilot to land near Smolensk on a small airfield which was not really ready for their plane. Plus it was foggy.
So actually most people blame that pilot who wasn't assertive enough.

And people from the passenger list who died: Our president, his wife, all important leaders of our military, head of the national bank and some others which were "set" by our president, a lot of important politicians - heads of senate and parliament as well as friends of our president, even people from olimpic committee, leaders of various national groups like institute of national memory, human rights, heads of our Church, many important "older" people of WWII and that's what I can remember from the top of my head.
If I had to say what I think - well, while this was a huge tragedy let's say that most people who died weren't really popular amongst Polish people. Most of these people were who they were because of good relations with our president who made them leaders of whatever they were leading. While we'll have national mourning for a week or so I'm sure many Polish people will have mixed feelings about this. And I don't think many will blame the Russians. At least I think it was only our president's and pilot's fault.

Oh and reelections will be announced within 2 weeks.

Has a full list been released? I want to make sure my granddad wasn't on the plane.

 

[Rukas]

Found it.

Thanks anyway.

Just saw the crash on TV too. Very tragic.

 

[_carmi]

that's some fucked up shit.

R.I.P.

 

[masta247]

Obama skips Polish funeral, heads to golf course - Washington Times

A massive volcanic plume covering most of Europe forced President Obama to cancel a Sunday trip to Poland to attend the funeral of the nation's president. But the last-minute change left an opening in his schedule, so the president headed to the links for a round of golf instead.

On a cool but sun-drenched Sunday, the president and three golfing companions went to Andrews Air Force Base to play 18 holes. It is the 32nd time Mr. Obama has played golf since taking office Jan. 20, 2009, according to CBS Radio's Mark Knoller.

After canceling the Poland trip on Saturday, the White House announced that Mr. Obama had no public schedule for Sunday. He was to have arrived in Krakow in the morning, attend the 2 p.m. funeral and leave for home by 5 p.m., arriving back at the White House after midnight.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, along with dozens of top Polish government officials were killed April 10 when their airplane went down in heavy fog after clipping a tree on approach to Smolensk, Russia.

Mr. Obama has not gone to the Polish Embassy in Washington since the accident, but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. both have. There, they signed a condolence book.

Mr. Obama was not the only world leader to miss the funeral because of the expanding volcanic ash cloud. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also canceled.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, however, flew by plane from Moscow for the funeral.

Other foreign leaders used different modes of transportation to get there. Slovenian President Danilo Turk decided to drive the 500 miles to Krakow. Romanian President Traian Basescu traveled to northwestern Romania by helicopter and then continue by car through Hungary and Slovakia.

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip made the 18-hour drive to the funeral, while Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus made the trip by car and train. Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko left Kiev with his wife at 7 a.m. Saturday for the long road trip.

Mr. Obama has played golf far more often than former President George W. Bush. In his eight years in office, Mr. Bush played just 24 times. His last time as president was Oct. 13, 2003.

He said in 2008 that he gave up golf "in solidarity" with the families of soldiers who were dying in Iraq.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," Mr. Bush said in a White House interview Saturday with the Politico. "I feel I owe it to the families to be as — to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

He stopped playing after he received word of a deadly attack in Iraq while playing golf during a stay at the family ranch near Crawford, Texas.

"They pulled me off the golf course, and I said it's just not worth it anymore to do," Mr. Bush said in the interview.

 

[vg4030]

^^ What do they expect him to do? Sit in the oval office to mourn?

Who gives a crap if he plays golf!? Im playing tomorrow

 

[Flipmo]

Probably not, but politics is all about how you present yourself. While other politicians are taking long car and train rides which shows effort, Obama plays golf. It just doesn't look right. Obviously, it's a news report so you don't know how much is true or whatever, but like it or not, it doesn't make him look good.

 

[S O F I]

^Yeah, Obama will take a train ride to Poland from Washington, DC. lol

 

[Bobby Sands]

Mr. Obama has played golf far more often than former President George W. Bush. In his eight years in office, Mr. Bush played just 24 times. His last time as president was Oct. 13, 2003.

so Bush > Obama obviously. He played less golf.