Posted on 08/05/2004 9:06:09 AM PDT by lizol
Russia: Katyn massacre is not genocide
Russian prosecuting attorney does not consider Katyn forest massacre as genocide. According to the Russians, so may years after the crime no actions, suits, or prosecutions concerning the Katyn massacre cannot be brought in the courts.
President of the Institute of National Remembrance Leon Kieres, who visited Russia to discuss the Katyn issue, described his talks in Moscow as difficult. However, one important decision has been made during Kieres’ visit - Polish prosecutor and historian shall come to Moscow to familiarize with 156 files gathered during Russian investigation.
Leon Kieres informed that Russian investigation it to terminate at the end of 2004. He added that he does not rule out the possibility of starting Polish investigation in this case, yet not before Russian investigation is over.
Most of the victims in Katyn forest massacre were Polish army reservists - lawyers, doctors, scientists and businessmen. After the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 they were called up to active service. But instead of fighting the Germans, about 15,000 Polish officers found themselves prisoners of the Red Army, which had occupied eastern Poland under the terms of a secret Moscow-Berlin treaty.
In the spring of 1940, about 4,500 of these officers were taken by their Soviet captors to the Katyn forest. Most were then gagged, bound, shot in the head and buried on the spot.
Ooops, but when Soviet prosecutors were pretending before the Nurnberg Tribunal that Katyn massacre was commited by the Nazis so at that time they were sure it was a genocide (German one of course).
I wonder what has changed about that during past 60 years.
Katyn ping.
What the communists are excellent at is killing by class.
So in Cambodia, when Pol Pot and his people killed 2 millions of their compatriots it wasn't a genocide?
So in Cambodia, when Pol Pot and his people killed 2 millions of their compatriots it wasn't a genocide?
Genocide - the deliberate murder of a whole group or race of people (from "Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English")
No one buys that the Germans did it anymore. < /sarcasm>
Oh they killed by race to, Stalin uprooted entire races of people to Siberia. Ever hear of the "Doctors Plot?"
In the spring of 1940, about 4,500 of these officers were taken by their Soviet captors to the Katyn forest.
Has any one learned how the unfortunate 4,500 officers were selected?
I presume the surviving 10,500 officers served in Soviet-organized and equipped Polish formations on the Eastern Front and later returned to form the nucleus of the Polish national army under communism.
No!
4.500 were found in Katyn forest. A few more thousand were foud dead in Myednoye, Ostashkovo, Charkov. A few more thousand are missing till today.
When Stalin was asked what happened to the Polish officers who were supposed to show up in camps, where Polish army was being formed he replied they must had escaped to Manchuria. At that time they were alkready buried in Katyn or else.
Word "Katyn" in Poland serves as a general desigantion of that genocide.
It's like talking about Holocaust you say "Auschwitz" and everyone knows what you mean.
There is a statue commemerating the victims of this about one block from my office. At Exchange Place in Jersey City, NJ.
I live in Baltimore. There is a big memorial to the Katyn victims here.
"I presume the surviving 10,500 officers served in Soviet-organized and equipped Polish formations on the Eastern Front and later returned to form the nucleus of the Polish national army under communism."
Stalin killed as much of the Polish upper class, including officers, as he could. Doubtful more than a few of the officers captured by Russia survived.
Thanks for the update.
Typical hardcore fascist/communist approach to difficult problem solving: rather than try to sift the politically reliable from the unreliable, just kill them all. Guaranteed 100% success in identifying and eliminating the unreliable elements.
I have many relatives who came to the US from the Ukraine prior to the revolution and WW-1. Those that didn't leave were either starved to death or taken in the middle of the night and killed or sent to labor camps in Siberia where they were worked to death.
Their only crime was being industrious and properous farmers who worked hard in their collective farms. Actually, suficient reason for being shipped off to a labor camp and worked to death was being accused of being the child of a Kulak.
On a trip to Russia about ten years ago my interpreter told me that in addition to Katyn there was another similar site near Kharkov.
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