The Death of President Kaczynski: Poland’s Tragic Loss is America’s and Britain’s Too
Nile Gardiner /
The tragic deaths of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, the Polish First Lady Maria Kaczynska, and dozens of senior Polish officials, are being mourned today by tens of millions of people across the free world. For much of the 20th Century, the Polish people fought to be free, from the twin evils of fascism and communism, and their sacrifice and bravery has been a testament to their courage and indefatigable spirit, as well as an inspiration.
In recent years as well, Poland has shed blood in the defence of freedom, with 2,600 Polish troops bravely fighting alongside the United States and Great Britain in the NATO-led war against the Taliban on the battlefields of Afghanistan. In the dark days following the 9/11 attacks, the Poles were among the very first to offer their support for America in the war against Islamist terrorism, and have consistently stood shoulder to shoulder with their US ally. Poland also played an important role in the liberation of Iraq, and by 2005 there were 2,500 Polish troops serving as part of the multinational force.
As Margaret Thatcher noted in her speech before the Polish Senate in October 1991, it is the love of liberty that has united Polish freedom fighters with the English-Speaking Peoples: