Polish Democracy for Africa

What model of democratic transition should be adopted by Tunisia and Egypt, now that they are free of the Mubarak and Ben Ali dictatorships? For Obama, it is undoubtedly the Polish model. As he stated on 28 May in Warsaw, Poland has "charted a course for freedom that inspired many on this continent and beyond." He then singled out Warsaw’s great merits, not least the fact that the "United States and Poland have forged an exceptional bilateral defense partnership, firmly rooted in the enduring NATO alliance."

To further strengthen it, President Obama and President Komorowski announced that a U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment, largely made up of F-16 bombers, will be deployed on Polish territory, next to those already sold by the U.S. to Poland and in addition to the "anti-ballistic missile site" to be established. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has already deployed Patriot missile batteries there. Significant progress has been recorded as well in the cooperation between U.S. and Polish Special Forces and the mutual training of Polish military units (2600 persons) stationed in Afghanistan under U.S. commandment. A subsequent agreement has been announced which will "reduce barriers to defense trade" and enable Poland to import more U.S. armament (and sinking more into debt).

One can appreciate Obama’s enthusiasm for the Polish model as well as his statement : "We want to encourage the nations of the Midle-East and North Africa are struggling for transition towards democracy — especially in Egypt and Tunisia — to benefit from the Polish model."

The encouragement is not only verbal. In Warsaw, the two Presidents met with "Polish activists for democracy" just back from a "successful visit" to Tunisia, headed by former President Walesa (Nobel Peace prize laureate, like Obama). Given the outcome, they decided to send to Tunisia "more transition experts to cooperate with the new government."

Also greatly appreciated by Obama is the fact that in Libya, Polish activists are cooperating with the Benghazi Council towards a "political transition" of the country - in other words, the overthrow of the Tripoli government. Laudable undertaking inspired by Washington.

Obama’s influential adviser, Elisabeth Sherwood-Randall specified that "U.S. democratic institutions, including the National Democratic Institute (NID) [1] are already supporting Polish efforts in the Arab movement for democracy." The exact role of these "democratic institutions", directed and funded by the CIA and a few other federal agencies, is confirmed by NID itself, when it writes that its work in Benghzi is greatly facilitated by "important Libyan officials who had already participated to its courses held in Morocco and the United States."

Funds are not lacking for such activities. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BERD), after having dismantled and privatised Poland’s public domain and that of other Eastern countries, has now descended on Egypt and Tunisia offering 5 billion dollars in exchange for "adequate reforms", opening the doors wide for multinational firms and foreign military bases. This is a new crusade in which the Poles are on the front line, proudly brandishing the F-16 emblem on a dollar background.