SCND: January 10, 2015

CIA Officer: When will Poles realize that you can’t trust Russians? Poland must rid itself of Russian influence.

An interview with former high-ranking Central Intelligence Agency executive Eugene Poteat.

Above: Eugene Poteat, retired high-ranking CIA executive.

Skwarczynski (WPolityce): The Malaysian Airlines plane shot down by Russians is often linked to the Polish plane crash in Smolensk April 10, 2010. This connection was pointed out by one of the best German investigative journalists Bren Reainer and French thinker Alain Besanson, and it was plainly put by Will Catheart in the April 2014 report by the Daily Beast, "Did Putin blow up the whole (Polish) government in 2010?" Might this be a chance for a new international investigation of this matter?

Poteat: I would hope so, but until the Polish Government itself calls for a new international investigation, it will not happen, and with the passing of time, the opportunity will fade as well. And others outside Poland can write and say all they want, but to no avail.  I think the current Polish government, as opposed to President Kaczynski who died in the crash, would not dare to challenge Putin or Russia’s version of the crash, or anything else for that matter.  I am not surprised that others, especially writers looking for a story, would tie in MH17.  But their writing will fade over time and be forgotten.  They could have grabbed world attention had they included the morbid history of Russian intelligence services murders, starting with the Katyn forest.

Skwarczynski: Pro-Russian TV stations operating in Poland, such as TVN, are trying to convince the public that the crash was an accident and the fact that Russia has not yet returned the wreckage and the black boxes to Poland is irrelevant to the investigation. In the meantime turncoats like Gunther Grass - he started his career in the Waffen SS and is rounding out his life as a Delphic Oracle for the European Left - accuses NATO and the US of meddling in Ukraine. Do you expect any breakthrough in public perception of this Russian-tailored propaganda?

Response: I fear NATO is no longer the force needed to counter the Soviets, especially after the collapse of the USSR, especially because the Western media, such as Radio Free Europe and others who worked diligently to counter Russian propaganda have withered away.  Both Soviet and Western propaganda was very successful during the Cold War, but only the Russians continue at it, with little Western effort to counter it.  It seems Russia has a psychological problem, even a paranoia, which prevents them from dropping their war mindset that sees only enemies around them.  Certainly they had reasons based on WW-II, but that’s long over, and the Russian people, with all their talent, have never had a government to permit them opportunity to enjoy, understand and interact with those in the West. As long as Putin continues to rule Russia as a dictator, I see no possibility for Russians to achieve the freedoms enjoyed in the West.   

Skwarczynski: Some circles in Poland and the Baltic countries watch Germany's massive share in the buildup of the Russian war machine.  As it was presented by American journalist Josh Rogin, the Rheinmetall company built facilities for 30, 000 Russian combat troops in southeast Russia. The scope of German military assistance became an embarrassment for some other NATO members. The reminder of War World II is exemplified by Angela Merkel’s Internet account being inundated by thousands of Ukrainians sending the slogan: “Danke, Frau Ribbentrop!” Briefly, is it clear that in this context the Germans, a major player of NATO in Europe, are not interested in investigating the Smolensk crash?

Poteat: I’m afraid you are right.  Germany is no more interested in Smolensk than the USA or other nations.  Germans, like others in the West and USA, have economic interest far more important to them than Poland or the Smolensk crash.  They are now fat, rich and happy.  Why upset that which could affect their profitable military sales to Russia.  America’s IBM Corporation sold Hitler all the data processing equipment needed to manage his war machine.  Germans have the same corporate greed as others in the West.  The USA moved much of their manufacturing to China, not to help China, but to increase their wealth by using China’s cheap labor.  The results.... China is now the world’s largest economy and uses their wealth to also build a formidable, expanding military capable of threatening the USA.  The American consumer is the engine that drives much of world’s economy, including China’s and Germany’s.  To be blunt, only Poland could be in a position to call for an international investigation, but with the influence Russian has over the present government, I see no hope for an international investigation.

Skwarczynski: Massive fraud in the last election in Poland keeps the leading party representing the German attitude toward Russia in power. But in America, particularly among the Polish diaspora which elected Maria Szonert Binienda - a wife of Prof. Binienda from the University of Akron, a leading scholar, who proved that the Polish state-controlled media produce lies to justify the Smolensk crime - the Vice President of the Polish American Congress, is a growing certainty that it was a Russian action. The truth of Smolensk 2010 is where the truth of the Katyn Forest Massacre 1940 has been between the fifties and nineties, before it was disclosed by Jelcyn. Are those crimes an exclusively Polish headache?

Poteat: Until Poland can rid itself of the Russian yoke and control their own destiny, I’m afraid these crimes will concern only those independent and Western leaning Polish patriots and not be taken seriously elsewhere.  I have to ask myself: why would President Kaczynski and his cabinet with its knowledge of the murderous history of Russian secret police and intelligence services use a Russian airplane, have it serviced in Russia, and load the entire top echelon of their government on board.  When will Poland, and the rest of us ever learn?  I suspected the Russian involvement the moment I read of the crash. I knew their murderous history, so I wrote my first article, knowing the Russians could not possibly want to be reminded of their treachery, in front of the entire the world.  I knew they had the motive and means to cause the crash, quickly clean up the crime scene, and write the only report about the crash, their version that was quickly accepted rather than challenged.  

Source: WPolityce. This arrticle is reprinted here with Mr. Poteat's permission.

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