[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 14 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 14

Calling for an independent international investigation of the April 10, 
2010, plane crash that killed President of Poland Lech Kaczynski and 95 
                           other individuals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 2, 2011

   Mr. Burr submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Calling for an independent international investigation of the April 10, 
2010, plane crash that killed President of Poland Lech Kaczynski and 95 
                           other individuals.

Whereas, on April 10, 2010, an airplane carrying President of Poland Lech 
        Kaczynski crashed near Smolensk, Russia, killing everyone onboard;
Whereas the individuals onboard the airplane included President Lech Kaczynski 
        and his wife, Maria Kaczynski, the chief of the Polish General Staff, 
        senior Polish military officers, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland, 
        12 members of the Parliament of Poland, the president of the National 
        Bank of Poland, senior members of the Polish clergy, and relatives of 
        victims of the Katyn massacre;
Whereas President Lech Kaczynski and passengers were traveling to attend a 
        ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre to 
        honor the 22,000 Polish officers killed at Katyn by the Soviet Secret 
        Police in 1940 when the plane crashed just six miles from Katyn;
Whereas, on April 10, 2010, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev ordered the 
        establishment of a State Commission headed by Russian Prime Minister 
        Vladimir Putin to investigate the circumstances of the disaster;
Whereas Prime Minister Vladimir Putin delegated supervision to Tatyana Anodina, 
        Chairwoman of the Interstate Aviation Committee in Russia, to 
        investigate the circumstances of the crash;
Whereas Alexei Morozov was designated as head of the Interstate Aviation 
        Committee's technical commission;
Whereas Edmund Klich, the head of the State Commission for Aircraft Accident 
        Investigations in Poland, was put in charge of the Polish investigative 
        committee;
Whereas, on May 19, 2010, the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee released 
        preliminary reports that the plane did not suffer from any mechanical 
        failures and ruled out a terrorist attack, explosion, or fire;
Whereas Russian investigators in preliminary reports stated that the crash was 
        the fault of the Polish pilots who did not listen to air traffic 
        controllers;
Whereas Polish investigators released preliminary reports concluding that the 
        crash was the fault of the air traffic controllers who gave delayed 
        commands to the pilots;
Whereas only the transcripts of flight recorders have been given to Polish 
        investigators;
Whereas the black boxes have not been handed over to Polish investigators;
Whereas, on January 12, 2011, the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee released 
        its final report concluding that pilot error was the cause of the crash 
        and dignitaries on the plane pressured the pilots to land;
Whereas the Interstate Aviation Committee's final report did not include any 
        information regarding actions of Russian air traffic controllers 
        communicating with the plane;
Whereas requests for certain additional information by Polish investigators have 
        been denied;
Whereas, on January 12, 2011, Tatyana Anodina, Chairwoman of the Interstate 
        Aviation Committee, stated that Russia is prepared to provide results of 
        its final report to an international investigation or auditors if 
        necessary;
Whereas, on January 13, 2011, Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland called for 
        intervention by international institutions in the event authorities from 
        Poland and Russia cannot produce a report that satisfies both sides;
Whereas, according to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed at 
        Chicago December 7, 1944 (also known as the ``Chicago Convention''), if 
        one country does not agree with an aviation disaster report drafted by 
        another country, they may meet to reach consensus on the matter; and
Whereas over 300,000 Poles have signed a petition calling for an international 
        investigation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress calls for an independent international investigation of 
the April 10, 2010, plane crash near Smolensk, Russia.
                                 <all>