Posted on 08/01/2004 10:01:09 AM PDT by Grzegorz 246
Edited on 08/01/2004 10:59:14 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Sunday honored Poles who fought Nazi occupiers in the doomed Warsaw Uprising 60 years ago, bowing at a memorial to the insurgents and acknowledging the "immeasurable suffering" Germans inflicted on their neighbor.
Schroeder, the first German chancellor to attend an uprising anniversary, faced a delicate mission in atoning for the brutal crushing of the two-month revolt, which ended with 200,000 residents dead and most of the city systematically destroyed by the Nazis.
"I consider it a great honor to me personally to have been invited and a big-hearted gesture to my country, which brought such immeasurable suffering to the Poles with the war it started," Schroeder told a news conference after talks with Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka.
Schroeder, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott were to jointly pay homage to the Warsaw fighters later Sunday at official ceremonies with Polish leaders.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
I don't know what it is about that battle, but every time I read about it, I get chills. I am glad Colin Powell said "Poland will never be alone again". He spoke for all of us.
I've just seen on TV ceremony commemorating the Uprisising where Schroeder was present. When it was announced I heard loud whistling going from the audience.
I didn't like it. Regardless all the Polish bitter memories related to the Germans he's a guest.
Don’t exaggerate, I also watched and I heard only few whist much less than clapping.
Anyway - I think even one was to much.
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