Posted on 08/21/2005 2:33:19 PM PDT by lizol
Strongman sorry for Prague Spring
From correspondents in Prague August 22, 2005
FORMER Polish communist strongman, Wojciech Jaruzelski, has apologised to the Czech Republic and Slovakia for Poland's role in the Soviet-led invasion in August 1968 that crushed a pro-democracy movement.
"I have felt bad, I have been tormented by that," said Jaruzelski during a broadcast on Czech public television, 37 years to the day after the invasion of then Czechoslovakia.
Troops from the Soviet Union and four former Warsaw Pact countries squashed the so-called "Prague Spring", a movement led by Slovak reformer Alexander Dubcek that tried to put "a human face on socialism" through democratic reforms to the totalitarian regime in power in Prague.
"It was a stupid political act," said Jaruzelski, 82, who was Poland's defence minister at the time.
"I now make my apologies."
About 100 citizens died from gunfire from the invading troops or by accident during the first days of the invasion, which besides Poland included soldiers from Bulgaria, Hungary and the former East Germany.
"Today I deeply regret it but at the time I could not act otherwise. It was a political decision," said the ex-communist leader, who in Poland was responsible in 1981 for using force to put down the independent Polish labor union Solidarity.
About 100,000 Soviet troops and their families remained in Czechoslovakia until the fall of communism in Prague in June 1991.
What a world we live in.
Some educational material for you.
You are holding ALL Russian people responsible for the actions of the few. How come that doesn't apply to Polish people?
I recall that night vividly.
I wept and prayed all that long night.
I would recommend for you to re-read my postings and then come to a conclusion, this one an informed one. You are much smarter than this!
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