Russia marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre of Poles by Soviet forces

[pampango]

Remembering Katyn, 70 years later

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8606126.stm

"The Polish prime minister will attend Wednesday's ceremony in Russia marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre of Poles by Soviet forces. It is an unprecedented step, and one which could herald a new era in strained relations between Poland and Russia, says the BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw. For 50 years, the Soviet Union blamed the murder of more than 20,000 Polish officers on the Nazis, who uncovered one of the mass graves in the forest of Katyn, near the city of Smolensk, in 1943. It was only in 1990 that Mikhail Gorbachev admitted Soviet responsibility."

"Back in September 1939, however, at the outbreak of war, Stalin's intentions were very different - the invasion and annexation of eastern Poland, following a secret deal with Germany to carve up the country. Approximately 230,000 Polish soldiers were taken prisoner after the Soviet invasion."

"The prisoners were led to believe they would be released but the interrogations were really a way to determine who would die. Among them were generals, college professors, teachers, diplomats, civil servants, engineers, writers and artists, politicians; members of the Polish elite. Many had taken part in Poland's military defeat of the Red Army in 1920, a campaign Stalin took part in."

"Current POWs are trying to continue their counter revolutionary and anti-Soviet activities. All are awaiting their freedom to actively participate in a fight against the Soviet government," the central committee's top secret resolution of 5 March reads. Stalin then gave the order to murder the prisoners. They were shot in the back of the head, their bodies dumped in mass graves in Katyn and at other sites. The names of 21,857 Polish citizens are listed among the victims on Soviet documents."

[Javaman]

1. Kind of interesting the depth to which stalin's revenge based insanity ran.

he waited 23 years to get back at them.

"be aware of those who seek revenge, for they are the patient ones". -anonymous.