Polish President Wants Shield

“The Shield Needs to be THIS big”

President Komorowski has suggested that the building of a Missile Shield Defence Facility would be capable of protecting the country against air attacks. Today, two years has passed since Bronisław Komorowski’s was sworn into office. On his second anniversary, he suggested the building of a Polish Missile Shield, which would be a part of a shared shield of countries belonging to NATO. When Barack Obama assumed the presidency of the USA in 2009, the concept of building the shield changed. The USA decided against building a shield that would use long-range anti-missiles stationed in Poland, which before was suggested by George W. Bush. Komorowski convinces the Polish public that they have to have a Polish Missile Shield because spending large amounts of money on military technology is nonsense if it is not protected against the most typical and dangerous missile and air attacks.

The Polish president said that at present Poland has systems that are becoming old and less suitable for defending the country. Stanisław Koziej, the head of the National Security Bureau (BBN), explained that this system would be complementary to the elements of a system which, according to future plans, Americans would station in Poland in 2018. Parliamentary representatives are positive about the idea. According to Stefan Niesiołowski (Civic Platform), the head of the Parliamentary Defence Committee, Poland has the technical know-how to create such a system. The creation of a system of anti-missile defence in Europe is a bone of contention between Poland and Russia as well as between both the USA, NATO and Russia. Moscow considers the project to be a threat to its security. It demands that Washington give legal guarantees that the American system will not be targeted against it. The USA refuses to give such a guarantee, but NATO assures Russia that the shield will not be targeted at Russia.
Gazeta Wyborcza

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Obama Thanks Poland

Obama Speaks to Poland

In a special address, US President Barack Obama sent his warmest wishes to the Republic of Poland on account of the 3rd May Constitution Holiday and, once again, his deepest condolences on account of the tragic Smolensk air crash. The Presidential statement reads: “For the 219 years which have passed since Poland passed its Constitution, this document has served as an inspiration for many people around the world, as a standard of equality and democratic freedoms”. The statement also highlights the importance to the American people of Polish-US relations. US President Barack Obama has been particularly active and vocal in his praise and support for Poland in recent weeks.
Polish Press Agency (PAP)

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Difficulties with Revised Shield Project

Stationed in Poland?

The visit of the American VP, Joe Biden, to Poland, his words and the revised anti-missile shield offer which he brought with him met with an optimistic response. However, there are still a number of issues that still need resolving.  As the American administration’s officials stressed yesterday, it still remains unknown just how many missiles would be located in Poland. What is known, however, is that the project’s implementation will start no sooner than 2015 and end before 2018. This timeline would reflect the successive stages of retrofitting the SM-3 missiles that have primarily been designed to be used solely on battleships. Such a distant date for implementing the revised plan is a cause for concern in Warsaw. There is also the matter of the still unresolved legal status of American soldiers stationed in Poland; an issue about which negotiations are still under way. Despite numerous declarations of the will to reach an agreement from both parties, a joint position on the soldiers’ liability is yet to be worked out. “There are some difficulties here but I hope that they will be resolved by making compromises on both sides,” said the Polish President after meeting with Biden. However, the head of the National Security Bureau (BBN), Aleksander Szczygło, was critical of the Polish PM’s optimistic declarations. “The perspective of 6 to 9 years needed for the shield to become a reality is a distant one. The PM’s statement is surprising. It is a shame that the government did not adopt the previous agreement this quickly. It is astonishing that it is agreeing to something that is very distant and drags on the talks on the status of American soldiers which is crucial for Patriot missiles to arrive in Poland along with any kind of American military presence on our soil,” commented Szczygło for Rzeczpospolita.
Rzeczpospolita

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Górski’s Shocking Comments

Górski in Trouble

Head of Law and Justice (PiS) Jarosław Kaczyński has commented on fellow party-member Artur Górski’s shocking comments. Speaking in the Lower House, Górski said that Obama’s election spells “the end for the civilization of the white man” and that the new US President is “a black crypto-communist.” PiS Head Kaczyński has been defending Górski claiming political correctness should not restrict freedom of speech. Jarosław Kaczyński stressed in Sygnały Dnia that everyone has the right to express their opinions whether or not they are controversial. He added that Górski was speaking for himself not for the whole of PiS. Kaczyński also said that exaggerated political correctness may stop people expressing their opinions. In the meantime, Górski has apologised in public for his words and ensured the public that they were not racist. However, American newspapers, describing Górski’s speech, said it was deeply racially prejudiced.
Dziennik

Waiting for Evaluation

Obama-Biden Declaration

According to the the President’s Office, Vice-President Joseph Biden called Lech Kaczyński on Monday evening and assured him that America is willing to continue tight military and political cooperation with Poland. “The future of the anti-missile shield depends on the evaluation of its effectiveness and profitability of the project,” he said. The conversation between Senator Biden and President Kaczyński is especially noteworthy in the face of the misinformation chaos created after the conversation between Kaczyński and President-elect Obama regarding the anti-missile shield.

At first, comments made by the President’s Office and Minister Piotr Kownacki indicated that the construction of the anti-missile shield will continue. The latter claimed that Obama gave his assurances as far as this issue is concerned. However, this misinformation was rapidly corrected by Obama’s team and Minister Michał Kamiński explained that Obama did not make any commitment, which was later confirmed also by President Kaczyński. Speaking about the anti-missile shield, Biden has emphasised that support for this project is conditional upon a evaluation to be carried out by the national security team. During his election campaign Obama spoke about the shield with restraint. Besides, while talking with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski in July he did not make any binding declaration.
Gazeta Wyborcza

All Important Visit

Messiah Visit

According to Grzegorz Kostrzewa-Zorbas, expert on American affairs, newly-elected US presidents are usually not overly concerned with foreign affairs. Americans expect them to concentrate on domestic affairs, especially in the face of the current political, social and economic crisis. America has been hit by the financial crisis and all Americans are terrified by the vision of another Great Depression. Asked whether President-elect Obama will visit Poland, Kostrzewa-Zorbas replied that he will certainly be travelling to other countries but these visits will be limited to the great economic powers and regions which are considered by American public opinion to be important for the US. He added that Poland is not an economic power nor does it have good relations with America like Israel or Ireland, countries much smaller than Poland.

In his opinion, Poland might be included in the first round of Obama’s journey across the European continent, however, this will not be in March but rather between May and September when the NATO summits take place. Nevertheless, chances for Obama to visit Poland have been weakened by racist comments made by Law and Justice MP Artur Górski and misinformation chaos within the President’s Office as well as a dispute over whether Obama, while talking to President Kaczyński, said or did not say that the construction of the anti-missile shield will continue. Furthermore, Kostrzewa-Zorbas believes that Artur Górski may have destroyed Poland’s image with his racist comments. In his campaign, Obama claimed that he will take a decision concerning the shield on the basis of further tests. However, if he changes his mind, it might undermine his credibility with his own citizens.
Super Express

Obama to Visit Poland

Obama in Poland

As early as next spring the new President of the United States will pay a visit to Poland. It was loosely agreed after a telephone conversation between Barrack Obama and Lech Kaczyński as well as Donald Tusk. Obama said that he wishes to come to Poland as soon as possible. He also gave assurances that the country is a strategic partner of the USA. The President’s Office was first to receive the call. Barrack Obama contacted Lech Kaczyński late in the afternoon. According to Newsweek he expressed his readiness to continue the “strategic” partnership with Poland in the brief conversation. Furthermore, he stressed that, despite recent concerns, he was not going to resign from building the anti-missile shield on Polish territory. Obama also said that he truly wishes to visit Poland especially due to the fact that he comes from Illinois, a state with a large Polish population.
Dziennik