President Obama had made the geopolitically significant decision to attend the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed along with 95 other Polish dignitaries in the airliner crash in Smolensk. But the president has been forced to abandon those plans because of the clouds of volcanic ash now spread over Northern Europe. The White House released the following statement …
“I spoke with acting President Komorowski and told him that I regret that I will not be able to make it to Poland due to the volcanic ash that is disrupting air travel over Europe. Michelle and I continue to have the Polish people in our thoughts and prayers, and will support them in any way I can as they recover from this terrible tragedy. President Kaczynski was a patriot and close friend and ally of the United States, as were those who died alongside him, and the American people will never forget the lives they led.”
