Federation of Polish Americans (FPA) – Jun 12, 2019
All-American
Rally in Support of Security of Poland and Eastern Europe
Wednesday,
June 12th 2019 9:30 am – 11:30 am,
White
House, Washington, DC.
Today’s
Message
This
rally marks support for the good work of the Trump Administration in fostering
genuinely closer military and economic ties between the United States and Poland
in the face of the reality of regional threats of Russian aggression.
Now more than ever the message of support, of deterrence by military
response in Central/Eastern Europe in partnership with Poland, must be
proclaimed!
Europe
Today: 'The most unpredictable security environment in a generation'
NATO's
Secretary General very recently characterized Russian military posturing on and
near Poland's borders as 'the most unpredictable security environment in Europe
in a generation.' Indeed, Sec Gen.
J. Stoltenberg warned only two months ago in a speech to a joint session of
Congress that, "We see a pattern of Russian behavior: including a
massive military build-up from the Arctic to the Mediterranean and from the
Black Sea to the Baltic." He
added, "Russia has deployed new missiles in Europe. There are no new
American missiles in Europe. But there are new Russian missiles. They are
mobile. Hard to detect. Nuclear capable. Cut the warning time to just minutes.
And reduce the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons in an armed
conflict."
And
he reminded us, "The strength of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization-NATO is that we have always been able to unite around our core
task. To defend each other. Protect each other.
And to keep our people safe."
Congress responded enthusiastically to his message, with almost all
Members standing SIXTEEN TIMES to applaud.
A
Commitment to Poland as a NATO Ally:
“We will stand with you”
The
remarkable comments by Vice President Mike Pence in Warsaw this year paint a
picture of intent -- to protect one of the most exposed and vulnerable points in
the United States' system of alliances. This
Administration understands the present situation.
The Vice President declared, "America first does not mean America
alone. We will always stand with the Polish people for liberty, democracy, the
rule of law, and the respect for the dignity of every human life. The United
States will never waver in our commitment to our common defense.”
He
recalled the historical links between America and old Poland, "the long and storied
history of friendship that ties together our two nations” he said. He
was remembering a time when this nation was barely a country-- a fragile, weak
collection of colonial communities that was 1776 America, which nonetheless had
a strong sense of identity as an independent nation. But America was unable to win a war against a strong,
aggressive power without the extended hand of military expertise from overseas. “To
this day," the Vice President
said, "the American people
honor the sacrifice of Polish heroes who shed blood alongside American patriots
in the cause of our freedom, men like Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski.”
Though it is now hard to imagine how those events in the 18th century
shaped the contemporary and future lives of Americans, we know this- it was big.
With this in mind, he pointed out that U.S. soldiers and Polish soldiers stand 'shoulder
to shoulder' today.
But
he was actually there for another purpose: to deliver the words of an American
President. Quoting Donald Trump,
he said the message is simply this: “We
are with you, we will stand with you, and the United States of America stands
with Poland as a part of the most successful mutual defense alliance in the
history of the world, and we always will."
He also reminded us that the President himself was standing in
the center of Warsaw, in July 2017 when he said, America will defend
“the priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies, and as a
civilization.”
“Just
as Poland could not be broken, I declare’,
the President said,
“today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our
values will prevail, our people will thrive." “Above all, we value the
dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person and share the
hope of every soul to live in freedom. That is who we are,” President Trump said.
“Those are the priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies and
as a civilization.”
These words are nothing short of a direct commitment by America to Poland in
time of war. We know how rare such statements are.
The Administration is ready- Now it needs to act.
A
BIgger Commitment to the Center of Gravity in Central-Eastern Europe: Poland
Now
that Poland is the regional Center of Gravity, a depth of commitment needs to be
shown. Additional deployment of
U.S.-NATO troops is our message. The U.S.
military’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) forces are at Orzysz (opposite
Sulwalki Gap) and 10 other locations with the NATO framework; from Bydgoszcz to
Poznan, Redzikowo to Powidz, Lask, Zagan and Boleslawiec, the American flag can
be found. However, remember, NATO
is a defensive alliance; it exists not to attack but to deter.
But
is it enough? NO!
We know this because there is a growing threat, and there are plans
for the future to increase U.S.-NATO presence to match the threat from the
aggressor. NATO recently
announced a massive supply/equipment magazine will be built at a cost of a
quarter billion dollars at Powidz air base. There are right now, this month,
several military exercises underway in Poland: an air defense exercise; naval
exercises in the Baltic; Special Forces exercises preparing for Russian hybrid
warfare, and most significantly, the VJTF (Very High Readiness Joint Task Force)
elite maneuver brigade deployment (of Dutch, Norwegian & German combat
troops). These are part of the NATO Response Force—preparing to deter a war we
all hope will not come- all under the command of U.S. Admiral J.G. Foggo.
This
is a trans-Atlantic alliance in practice-- not an alliance in theory.
And
this is why we, Polish Americans speaking with one voice, are here today!
To support and encourage the strengthening of the Eastern Front of NATO
in partnership with Poland and its defense modernization, to give life and
substance to the words of diplomacy we just read.
The deterrent against Russia must be made real, and there can be no
division of opinion. No division in
Congress. No doubt or division at
the Pentagon. No division in American public opinion.
We
reject any expressions of division on policy to meet Russian aggression.
We support affirmation of NATO Article V military guarantees to the
region on NATO's eastern front-- with Poland as its Center of Gravity. This
will ensure both Europe’s and America’s success in addressing their own
societal priorities in the 21st Century.
Contact:
Roman Korzan, Rally Coordinator
202-888-4035, roman.korzan@federationofpolishamericans.org
Americans for Security in Central and Eastern Europe,
Federation of Polish Americans, Inc.
Polish American Congress, Inc.
Polish Army Veterans' Association in America
Polish Falcons of America
Smolensk Disaster Commemoration Committee, Inc.
Gazeta Polska Clubs in USA
Coalition of Polish Americans, Inc.
Polonia for Poland
The Pulaski Cadets
State constituencies supporting
this message: PA, MI, WI, FL, MN, IL, OH, CT, NJ, NY, MA, VA, MD, RI
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The Federation of Polish Americans, Inc. (FPA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit
organization dedicated to promoting the interests of Polish Americans in civic
affairs. The FPA expresses its views on local, state, national and
international issues of particular concern to the Polish American community. The
FPA have been active politically since 1995.
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The Federation of Polish Americans, Inc. (FPA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit
organization dedicated to promoting the interests of Polish Americans in civic
affairs. The FPA expresses its views on local, state, national and
international issues of particular concern to the Polish American community. The
FPA have been active politically since 1995.
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Statement of the Federation of Polish Americans (FPA) – February 12, 2019
A great Polish American, John Dingell, who was the longest serving U. S. Congressman in history (1955-2015) passed away on February 7, 2019.
John Dingell (Americanized from Dzieglewicz) was an American Congressman of Polish decent representing a then-politically important district on the Westside of Detroit in the state of Michigan for more then 59 years.
As a Congressman deeply rooted in the Polish American community for almost six decades, his service reflected Polish American presence and influence on U.S. political scene. His long term service in the United States House of Representatives symbolized the strength of the Polish Community and its political potential.
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Statement of the Federation of Polish Americans (FPA) – February 12, 2019
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The Statement from Federation of Polish Americans August 3 2018,
A Year After the President's Warsaw Speech: Poland, NATO & Polish Americans
Polish Americans should be ready to deliver this message about Poland & NATO
FILE PHOTO: Washington DC Rally, June 11 2016
The Statement from Federation of Polish Americans August 3 2018,
A Year After the President's Warsaw Speech: Poland, NATO & Polish Americans
Polish Americans should be ready to deliver this message about Poland & NATO
Despite NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s very recent reassurances that the alliance is stronger due to increased military spending, there is growing public perception that Poland could, under certain circumstances, not be defended in the event of war. At issue is NATO's Article 5 which guarantees a full response by the alliance against Russian aggression. Such views hold that a U.S.-led military response is not settled policy and an attack on Poland could go unanswered. While this is not true, Polish Americans should continue to express their expectation, calling for the 'full faith and credit' of the U.S. signature on the North Atlantic Treaty to translate to U.S. military engagement in Poland. In the event of a crisis, the same applies of course to the neighboring Baltic nations.
Our Assets Cannot be Sacrificed
After all, our assets cannot be sacrificed and the facts speak for themselves. Since late 2016, U.S. deployments have continued uninterrupted. Today, U.S. forces are found in 9 locales in Poland including at Orzysz which is opposite the important Sulwalki Gap on the Lithuanian border, near Russian-held Kaliningrad. While entirely defensive in nature, they serve as a warning. According to the U.S. Defense Attaché in Warsaw, the latter unit (3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas) is “part of the Alliance’s overall deterrence and defense posture to demonstrate that an attack on or incursion into NATO territory will be met by Allied military forces.”
Elsewhere inside Poland other U.S. presence includes an Army armored brigade Combat Team, an Air Force Fighter Wing and logistics and Naval support elements. These deployments actually preceded the very recent creation of two new NATO commands, one in Norfolk, Virginia, further enabling the U.S. to respond. It will cover the Atlantic Ocean, handling major war-fighting logistical needs during any conflict.
The Danger is Real
The danger is real. And the Polish American response should be as heartfelt as the threat. Russia invaded Crimea, and then Eastern Ukraine beginning in 2014, precipitating a war that has cost some 10,000 lives. Make no mistake, such a conflict is also contemplated in northeast Poland (as evidenced in planning and force posturing by the Russians). The reactivation of the Russian First Guards Tank Army, deemed to be the most potent armor force on the continent, did not occur without reason. Nor did the rapid appearance of some 70,000 Russian troops on the Baltic frontier during military readiness exercises in 2017 come without a message: ‘We are ready for the future’, the Russians communicated. Indeed, a warning about the future is the core issue. The Russian threat is, in fact, a long term one.
But are we ready?
For this reason, The Federation of Polish Americans (FPA) has a message for the Trump Administration:
The FPA urges the Administration to publicly detail the steps it has taken or will take in support of NATO.
The FPA urges the Administration to quickly decide to accept Poland's offer of joint funding to establish a permanent base there. Poland has met the 2% of GDP goal of military funding, providing an example to 5 other alliance members who have recently announced long-over due increases.
The FPA urges NATO to expand, in this context, its military exercises and forward troop deployments, and begin a transition away from the present rotational or 'visiting' force presence in Poland to one of permanent basing on a region-wide basis. Gone are the days in which the presence of U.S.-NATO forces facing Russia's borders was understood to be off the table under the 1990 German reunification agreement, which nearly stopped Poland's bid for NATO membership in the first place, and has influenced events since. (Full disclosure: The Federation of Polish Americans warned of this arrangement in Congressional testimony in June 1996, delivered by Richard Kosinski).
The FPA urges NATO to quickly implement Gen. Mattis’s plan for deployment of 30 land battalions, 30 fighter squadrons and 30 warships within 30 days of an anticipated incident.
The FPA urges the Administration to give prompt consideration to deploying 7 NATO brigades and 3 heavy armored brigades in Eastern Europe, as indicated by the Rand Corporation.
The FPA urges the Administration to quickly implement its promise to supply Ukraine with requisite offensive arms as a deterrent to further aggression.
The FPA urges the Administration to maintain, and increase, its implemented sanctions, now at some 200, against Russia as well as reaffirm our expulsion of diplomats for its continued meddling in our elections and to unequivocally state the U.S. will not tolerate any future efforts to achieve its obvious goals in meddling.
The FPA further urges the Administration and NATO to implement effective countermeasures to Russia’s increased use of hybrid warfare, subterfuge, cyber attacks, assassinations and sabotage which threaten our homeland.
Polish Americans should be ready to deliver this message
NATO invoked Article 5 following the 9/11 attacks, and there should be no doubt that the U.S. must respond in kind. Any suggestion that Article 5 guarantees for Poland are in doubt, coming from any source or couched in any ‘explanation’, is wholly and categorically unacceptable.
Statement of the Federation of Polish Americans, Inc., August 3, 2018
Contact - Roman Korzan,
Federation of Polish Americans, Inc.
info@federationofpolishamericans.org
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The Federation of Polish Americans, Inc. (FPA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the interests of Polish Americans in civic affairs. The FPA expresses its views on local, state, national and international issues of particular concern to the Polish American community. The FPA have been active politically since 1995.
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