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Obama to Poland: Sorry About Gaffe

He regrets the death-camp error, he writes in letter to president

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 1, 2012 8:04 AM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama has apologized to Poland for the "Polish death camp" gaffe he made earlier this week, the AP reports. "In referring to 'a Polish death camp' rather than 'a Nazi death camp in German-occupied Poland,' I inadvertently used a phrase that has caused many Poles anguish over the years and that Poland has rightly campaigned to eliminate from public discourse around the world," Obama wrote in a letter to Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski yesterday. "I regret the error and agree that this moment is an opportunity to ensure that this and future generations know the truth."

Warsaw has been campaigning against phrases like "Polish death camp" for years; the language offends Poles because they did not run the camps, Nazi Germany did, and many Poles actually died in such camps. Komorowski was satisfied with Obama's apology, calling the letter "a very important moment in the battle for historical truth."

US President Barack Obama smiles as he talks with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski during an official welcome at the presidential palace in Warsaw on May 28, 2011.
US President Barack Obama smiles as he talks with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski during an official welcome at the presidential palace in Warsaw on May 28, 2011.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
saucier111
Jun 1, 2012 11:03 AM CDT
Wake up America,both replubicians and democrats you need to find leaders who will work in your interest not the interest of the rich and incorporations. The replubician democrats were one party till half way thru the 1850's. They pretended to split to control Americas political course,it seems to be corporate welfare and war mongering.
professortech
Jun 1, 2012 11:02 AM CDT
Since the Con-Trolls are out in force about how "Terrible" President Obama makes us look to the world, Let'  take a little look at the PEW Research Cemter's Global Public Opinion Research during the BUSH years. Generally a halving of positive opinions of the US and some of the lowest international opinion numbers ever. Just sayin'.  http://www.pewglobal.org/2008/12/18/global-public-opinion-in-the-bush-years-2001-2008/
LarryE
Jun 1, 2012 10:36 AM CDT
I believe it was a completely inadvertent gaffe. Obama is just too stupid to grasp the subtleties of language between "Polish death camp" and "Nazi death camp in Poland." I mean, have you heard (or read) his autobiography? Not only does it describe a lot of incidents from his high-school years -- it's written like he's STILL in high school. And we all know, his English is on about a 6th-grade level when he speaks. To me, he always sounds like a slightly dim-witted con man, trying to talk an audience of grade schoolers out of their lollipops. He's a Mussolini for Morons.
 

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