Air crash report strains Russia-Polish ties

Polish-Russian ties have come under renewed strain in January 2011 following the release of the final report by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee into the causes of the April 2010 air crash disaster that killed Poland’s president.

The report says the crew of a Polish plane carrying Lech Kaczynski was worried that he would be angry if they refused to land because of fog. His brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski rejected the findings as 'a joke against Poland'.

Rzeczpospolita, 13.1.11: Only Poles to blame for Smoleńsk air crash http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/460281-only-poles-blame-smolensk-air-crash

EUObserver, 13.1.11: Poland-Russia honeymoon ends after plane crash report http://euobserver.com/9/31638

Deutsche Welle, 12.1.11: Russian report blames Poles for death of Polish president in air crash http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14763860,00.html

BBC News, 12.1.11: Kaczynski air crash: Russia blames Polish pilot error http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12170021

Polskie Radio, 12.1.11: Kaczynski: Don’t blame Poland for Smolensk crash http://www.thenews.pl/national/artykul147225_kaczynski-dont-blame-poland-for-smolensk-crash.html

ESO: Background information: Polish president killed in plane crash http://www.europeansources.info/record/plane-crashes-in-smolensk-killing-polish-president-and-95-others/

---