Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

February 13, 2019

Mr. Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State US. State Department Washington, DC

Dear Mr. Pompeo, We are writing you today to express our great concern about the statements you made on Tuesday, February 12th after arriving in Poland to participate in the Middle East Summit. You have chosen the historic character, Frank Blaichman, to be cited as a Polish 2nd World War Resistance hero, whose ”…|ife was a testament to the resilience of the Polish people and to the American ideal that anyone who dreams big can rise to the top of matter…”.

By his own testimony (New York Times, Obituaries, January 25th, 2019), Frank Blaichman cooperated during the war with the Communist resistance group Armia Ludowa. After the war ended, Blaichman has joined the Communist regime as a high-ranking operative of the infamous oppressive Urząd Bezpieczeństwa (UB), and this fact alone makes him a criminal in the eyes of the Polish people. Institute of National Remembrance (lnstytut Pamięci Narodowej) has launched an investigation into Blaichman’s activities during and after the 2nd World War, in connection with accusations formulated against him of crimes committed as a UB functionary in the Stalinist terror machine. One of the crimes that of which he is accused, is a murder of two young Armia Krajowa (AK) fighters. Armia Krajowa (Home Army) during the war was the underground Polish resistance force, the military arm of the Polish Goverment in exile

In this juncture, the statements you made on the outset of your visit in Poland, which President Donald Trump’s administration supposedly views as a steadfast ally, amounts to an insult of monstrous proportions to the Polish people everywhere, including Polish Americans. You are the first American official who praises the member of the communist era oppressive apparatus. Is this consistent with diplomatic practice, to trample upon sensitivities of the visited nation?

We observe with great satisfaction and pleasure the friendship and good relations between the USA. and the Republic of Poland, under President Donald Trump and his administration. We should not let this unfortunate incident harm these relations and cause bad feelings. Therefore, we urge you to admit a mistake and issue an apology to the Polish people.