Polish President and 86 high ranking officials die in plane crash

[AC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8612825.stm

It's important to note that this is apparently not a terrorist attack.

The details are still being worked out, but it sounds like the plane included:
- Lech Kaczyński, President
- Maria Kaczyńska, First Lady
- Ryszard Kaczorowski, last President-in-exile
- Jerzy Szmajdziński, former Minister of Defence
- Aleksander Szczygło, chief of National Security Bureau
- Władysław Stasiak, former chief of the National Security Bureau
- Mariusz Mariusz, Secretary of State
- Andrzej Kremer, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs
- Gen. Franciszek Gągor, Chief of Staff
- Sławomir Skrzypek, President of the Polish National Bank
- Przemyslaw Gosiewski, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland
- and, apparently, the chiefs of every arm of the Armed Forces.
- and numerous other major political figures

This magnitude of a political loss must be devastating.

[AC]

Latest reports are a death total of 132 actually.

edit: reports are that the chiefs of every armed forces branch were aboard the plane as well.

[CaptainCrunch]

Wow, that a governmental decapitation.

Usually the pilots that fly heads of state around are extremely experienced and are the creme of the crop of a nations air force.

Its funny, it sounds like the plane mushed out short of the runway, maybe a hydraulic control failure.

Terrorist attack or not, Poland's government has been devastated.

If I was conspiracy based, I'd take note that it wasn't just the president, it was the head of their military, their intelligence services, a high ranking member of their foreign affairs department, and the head of their national bank. Those are the top governmental portfolios.

[AC]

Their Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, was apparently not on board.

[Redliner]

That's crazy. Don't most countries usually take security measures when travelling so that all the major power players aren't together in the unlikely event that something exactly like this happens?

This pretty much resets their entire government.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by AC

Their Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, was apparently not on board.

Its interesting the Prime Minister isn't an elected official, he's an appointee. Looks like they've appointed Bronisław Komorowski as acting President. He was the speaker of the Sejim, Their version of parliament.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Redliner

That's crazy. Don't most countries usually take security measures when travelling so that all the major power players aren't together in the unlikely event that something exactly like this happens?

This pretty much resets their entire government.

Most do, In Canada, the Prime Minister isn't supposed to travel with the Deputy Prime Minister.

In the U.S. you rarely see the President and the Vice President together.

[Hack&Lube]

The strange thing is that the late Polish President was the identical twin brother of the former Prime Minister of Poland.

[Delthefunky]

Crazy! For what it's worth the Tupolev isn't exactly the greatest plane ever made, but still, kept well maintained it should be safe. I'm definetly awaiting further news from this though!

[Bob]

Whoa. That's crazy.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

The strange thing is that the late Polish President was the identical twin brother of the former Prime Minister of Poland.

They were also child actors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Who_Stole_the_Moon

[Machiavelli]

That is terrible. An event of unbelievable magnitude for that country.

[algernon]

Yikes. Reminds me of a Clancy book.

[Ducay]

Its 'We are Marshall', but on a national level.


Thoughts and prayers

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Redliner

That's crazy. Don't most countries usually take security measures when travelling so that all the major power players aren't together in the unlikely event that something exactly like this happens?

This pretty much resets their entire government.

Yes even corporations often have travel policies against all the big guns being on one plane together. Seems a bit amateur of the Polish to roll like this.

[joe_mullen]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yes even corporations often have travel policies against all the big guns being on one plane together. Seems a bit amateur of the Polish to roll like this.

Sadly, the ironic thing about this is that they were going to Katyn to commemorate the Katyn Massacre, where the Soviets slaughtered the entire Polish military high command in WWII. Being Polish, this has left me speechless...what a tragedy.

[Locke]

Well...isnt that convenient...

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by Redliner

That's crazy. Don't most countries usually take security measures when travelling so that all the major power players aren't together in the unlikely event that something exactly like this happens?

Ya, but you gotta remember that this is the country that (apparently) put screen doors on their submarines.

Honestly never thought I'd see a news story like this.....crazy to say the least. Too bad, will say some prayers and move on.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

Ya, but you gotta remember that this is the country that (apparently) put screen doors on their submarines.

.

Are you for real right now? A Polish joke after a trajedy?

Too soon.

(Also, Polish jokes were invented by the Nazis as a way to humiliate them after ravaging their country... good job keeping the tradition alive.)

[Azure]

Wow.

Imagine that happening here in Canada.