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Polish President is "detained" in Canada
This is from Al Kamenâs "In The Loop" column deep inside section A of the Washington Post...required reading for Washington insiders and political junkies.We warned Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Wednesday that heâd pay a price for violating the sacred rules of Oval Office photo ops — namely, all pablum and smiles, no substance. Kwasniewski got seriously into President Bushâs face during their little get-together Tuesday, interrupting and visibly annoying Bush with demands that Polish visitors be allowed to come here without visas, just as other Europeans, even those who opposed the Iraq war, are able to do. Poland sent 2,500 troops to Iraq, hoping for inclusion in the visa waiver program. Bush, with the cameras rolling, smiled, ducked, weaved and finally wandered off into touting his guest worker proposal — which of course has nothing to do with visa waivers. The much-loathed visa requirements are a big deal in Poland, forcing long lines and making Polish travelers feel like second-class Europeans. So Bush offered to treat them like first-class Mexicans and Central Americans. Ouch. Kwasniewski headed home empty-handed after the meeting, and promptly got detained by Canadian authorities when a snowstorm forced his plane to divert from Gander to St. Johnâs, Newfoundland. "We saw what it feels like when an unexpected guest arrives who in the beginning is treated as a potential illegal immigrant. And this is how we were treated," Kwasniewski good-naturedly told reporters at a news conference Wednesday, according to a Reuters account. "The passengers from my plane were held in a place where we could not leave," he said. "It all took about three hours." "Security, we have a Things got better, he said, after some Polish sailors saw him and began asking for autographs, so it was clear he was famous. "Cancel that; he is the president of Poland. My bad." The U.S. ambassador to Poland, Christopher R. Hill, was on the plane, and Kwasniewski quoted him as saying: "I hope you wonât be so upset about U.S. visa rules, now that youâve seen how it is in Canada." Canadian officials, meanwhile, say the group was not detained, but put in a transit lounge. Poland is sending their sons and daughters in harmâs way, and taking a stand for freedom. Not whining and snarking from the sidelines. Surely the U.S. could do a bit better in the "thank you" department. Posted by: seafarious 2004-01-30 |
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