U.S. General John Abizaid, Commander, U.S. Central Command, and General William Casey, Commanding General, Multinational Forces Iraq, visited Poland October 3-4 to attend the 2006 Multinational Forces-Iraq Coalition Conference. While in Poland, the two U.S. Generals met with high-ranking Polish military and government officials including Polish Minister of Defense Radoslaw Sikorski. “It is an honor to welcome Generals Abizaid and Casey to Poland for this important conference,” said U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe. more

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani met with Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski on October 17 during a privately-sponsored visit to Poland. Mayor Giuliani thanked Prime Minister Kaczynski for his country’s engagement in efforts to promote freedom and democracy in the world. “I have long admired Poland. Your country is an example of real dedication and engagement for freedom, democracy and basic values,” said Rudolph Giuliani. In response, Prime Minister Kaczynski told Giuliani, “Polish-American relations are one of the pillars of Poland’s position in the world.” more

James L. Connaughton, Chairman of the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality, visited Warsaw October 25-26. Connaughton serves as the senior environmental, energy and natural resources advisor to U.S. President George W. Bush as well as Director of the White House Office of Environmental Policy, which oversees the development of U.S. environmental policy. While in Warsaw, Connaughton met with Polish government officials to discuss environmental issues of mutual interest to the U.S. and Poland. He also addressed a group of environmental science professors and students at Politechnika Warszawska on efforts by the U.S. and the EU to promote clean energy and sustainable development. more

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Glenview, Illinois Police Department arrested Edward Mazur on October 20 in response to Poland’s official extradition request. Mazur is wanted in Poland on charges relating to his alleged involvement in the 1998 murder of the former Polish Police Chief General Marek Papala. Mazur is currently being held by U.S. authorities awaiting his formal extradition to Poland. “International extradition procedures require careful legal and judicial attention. I can assure the Polish public that this matter is receiving a great deal of attention from the U.S. Government. The U.S. is committed to both responding to Poland’s request and ensuring that all U.S. and international laws governing extraditions are correctly followed,” commented U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe. more

The U.S. Special Envoy for Anti-Semitism, Dr. Gregg Rickman, visited Poland October 7-14. In addition to attending the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting held in Warsaw organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Special Envoy Rickman also met with Polish government officials, Warsaw’s Rabbi Schudrich and Rabbi Schuman, the leaders of the Warsaw and Krakow Jewish Unions, Chairman Joachim Russek of the Center for Jewish Culture in Krakow, and Director Tomasz Kuncewicz of the Auschwitz Jewish Center. Dr. Rickman also visited the Nazi death camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka. more

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe hosted a reception at his residence on October 5 to mark the completion of the U.S. Embassy sponsored “Youth Against Corruption” project. The reception celebrated the end of this successful program and the beginning of a similar project called “Youth for Transparency” in thirteen different communities in Lithuania. In his remarks at the reception, Ambassador Ashe described how the U.S. Embassy supported the Center for Citizenship Education in Poland to teach 8,000 students in 170 public schools about corruption and anti-corruption policy and to encourage these students to continue to be engaged in local and national politics. Ambassador Ashe also encouraged the guests to view the exhibition of project posters displayed at the residence that were created by the students for their anti-corruption public education campaigns in their local communities. more

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe hosted a reception at his residence on October 19 in honor of the winners of the ninth annual jointly sponsored U.S. Embassy-Wprost Magazine essay contest for young journalists. The theme of this year’s essay contest was: “Will Scientists Replace Politicians?” Ambassador Ashe and Wprost Editor-in-Chief Piotr Gabryel congratulated this year’s first place winner, Marta Wawrzyn, who was awarded a three-week internship at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and an internship at Wprost Magazine. The second and third place winners, Mateusz Madejski and Piotr Toczyski, were presented their awards of a laptop computer and a tape recorder along with internships at Wprost Magazine. To read Marta Wawrzyn’s winning essay, click here. more

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe traveled to western Poland October 9-11 where he visited Poznań, Słońsk, Warta, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Świebodzin, Żary, Żagan, Jelenia Góra, Karkonosze, Kamiena Góra, Jawor and Wrocław. During these visits, Ambassador Ashe met with Wojciech Perczak, Governor of Lubuskie Province; Roman Pogorzelec, Mayor of Żary; Sławomir Kowal, Mayor of Żagan; Józef Kusiak, Mayor of Jelenia Góra; Artur Mazur, Mayor of Kamienna Góra; and Artur Urbański, Mayor of Jawor. Ambassador Ashe also toured the Warta River Mouth National Park, Karkonosze National Park, the Museum of Allied Prisoners of War in Żagan (the site of the German Stalag where the legendary “Great Escape” of 76 Allied POWs actually occurred), the Church of Peace in Jawor, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. more