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5 key Polish generals resign as government wages 'crusade' against all things Russian

Breitbart News
Sat, 05 Mar 2016 16:06 UTC

The surprise resignations of several key Polish generals have rocked the new conservative government, which is facing a barrage of criticism at home and abroad over a host of controversial reforms.

"Five generals have submitted their resignations over the last few days," Szczepan Gluszczak, spokesman for the general command of the Polish armed forces, told commercial television channel Polsat on Friday.

The generals quit just as tensions run high with Poland's Soviet-era master Russia.

The resignations came months ahead of a large NATO exercise in Poland, as well as the western defence alliance's next summit, set for July in Warsaw.

It is the latest hurdle to trip up the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party that came to power in October after eight years in opposition.

The PiS has introduced controversial reforms giving the government more control over the constitutional court, state media and other institutions in a move that has alarmed the European Union and inspired street demonstrations.

Critics also say the new government has weakened the economy and two global ratings agencies have responded with warnings.

Gluszczak did not specify who had resigned, but local media reported that the generals in question included joint staff chief Ireneusz Bartniak and the commanders of land forces, the navy and the armoured and airborne forces.

"We have (the) Anaconda (exercise) coming up and the NATO summit in Warsaw, and here we have commanders, the captains of the ships, fleeing," deputy defence minister Bartosz Kownacki said Friday, according to Polish news agency PAP.

He did not say why the generals had quit, but former defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak said "it's just the beginning of the end. The atmosphere is very bad" in the army.

Local media are speculating that the resignations could be in response to recent announcements by new Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz, who is on a crusade to stamp out all traces of the communist era.

Macierewicz wants to block promotions of servicemen who joined the army before the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, especially those who attended military schools in the Soviet Union.

Reader Comments

gdpetti · 2016-03-05T18:00:51Z

hmmm.

Hasn't this been happening here in the States as well? Cleansing of opposing views.

Olimpia · 2016-03-05T18:51:16Z

Say what?!! You come the acid...

"5 key Polish generals resign as fascist government wages 'crusade' against all things Russian" - say what??!! Do you know what the word "fascist" means??!! Are you crazy? How dare you change the original title of the article: "Right Wing Polish Govt Rocked By Resignation Of Generals As Tensions With Russia Build" to such a nonsensical one??!! You allegedly play objective seekers of Truth, but behave like nasty manipulators....Shame on you...

"The PiS has introduced controversial reforms giving the government more control over the constitutional court, state media and other institutions in a move that has alarmed the European Union and inspired street demonstrations". - BS. The reforms are controversial for the government opposition that had losen in the election, can't accept the fact that they are no more in power and squeals evilly to the EU institutions saying lies.

"Critics also say the new government has weakened the economy and two global ratings agencies have responded with warnings". - the same as above.

It is disheartening...

Olimpia · 2016-03-05T19:10:51Z

A for the generals...

In Poland there are over 100 generals, 5 of them have just resigned cause they have had close connections to previous president Komorowski and previous PO-PSL government coallition.They are old, don't want to come under the new authorities, have right to retire with VERY high pension and use this opportunity. It has nothing to do with NATO exercises in Poland (they have been taking place regularly for many years, it's nothing new). And the NATO summit, set for July in Warsaw, has been planned by previous PO-PSL coallition and previous president....

Dobero · 2016-03-05T20:48:42Z

Olimpia,
Aren't you over-reacting a bit?
If, (1) Polish local media are speculating that the cause of this thing is a plan to weed out Soviet trained generals, then perhaps there is something to do with Poland's renewed love affair with NATO, and hence renewed hatred for Russia: if camaraderie is assumed or supposed between these generals and their classmates and barrack mates - and this is almost always the case - then it stands to reason that at such a time as this, there would be some suspicion that they might not show the required level of anti-Russian sentiments.
If, as you say, (2) the old soldiers are so ancient, then how come they are resigning: there must be a statutory retirement age for generals, and they would simply retire, not resign.
If (3) they were as decrepit as you suggest, then why is the Defense Minister saying they've let him down - insultingly suggesting they are cowards abandoning ship at the wrong time?
More to the point, if the list given by the press is correct, then it is the entire top command that has resigned: the JCS, the chiefs of the land, air and navy forces - with the armoured forces to boot.
Anyone would be forgiven to find this suspicious.
My take is that something nasty is being prepared against Russia by NATO with Poland as the willing tool, and the top brass of the army, irrespective of their attitude to Russia or to the West, will have nothing to do with it - no doubt because they reckon it is far too dangerous to let develop...

Dobero · 2016-03-05T21:27:48Z

By the way, Gen Ireneusz Bartniak is only 55.

Olimpia · 2016-03-06T08:43:45Z

Re: Dobero

Anti-Russia sentiment in Poland was, is and alas still will be unless Russia helps to change it (vide for instance Smolensk crash).

If PO/Komorowski were still in power, the romance with NATO would also flourish, it's obvious. The same generals who have just resigned, in the past during Komorowski/PO reign fervently were taking part in NATO exercises and preparing for NATO summit.

If they still could stay in the army, but have resigned to use a retirement option (in Poland 55 is enough to get a pension by generals), they are actually behaving like cowards abandoning a ship.

They are just too close connected to Komorowski/PO circles + at the same time don't like Macierewicz (don't want to be under his command) and hence this circus, which is a part of hate campaign against new Polish authorities conducted by PO/Nowoczesna band using foreign powers....

You say that something nasty is being prepared against Russia by NATO with Poland, so do you suggest that Polish government and president Duda are insane??

"Polish local media are speculating that the cause of this thing is a plan to weed out Soviet trained generals..."Instead of repeating what media (which by the way?) are saying, use your own head...

Prescinding from the generals (it's not the most important here) - I just can't understand how SOTT editors, apparently knowing little about Polish political situation, can change original titles of articles in such a manner, how they can write that in Poland reign fascists...It testifies to their ignorance and undermines SOTT credibility and objectivity...