Conspiracy theorists see fake fog in Polish crash (Feature)

By Dominika Maslikowski Jul 15, 2010, 12:42 GMT

Warsaw - From Russian fog machines supposedly set up at the airport to gunshots fired to finish off the victims - an array of conspiracy theories has emerged in the wake of the April plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski.

Analysts say the theories show mistrust towards Moscow runs high among a minority of Polish citizens. Most Poles, they say, seek more reasonable explanations for the cause of the crash and have an increasingly positive view of the Russian people.

Kaczynski and 95 other political, religious and military leaders were killed in the April 10 crash in Smolensk, Russia. The group was en route to commemorate a Soviet-era massacre of Polish officers in the forests of Katyn, Russia.

The crash shocked and saddened the nation, as many institutions were robbed of leaders and two political parties lost candidates for the presidential election originally set for later in the year.

But doubts arose quickly as thousands gathered to place candles and pray outside the presidential palace in Warsaw.

'There are no accidents!!!' said a note placed among the tributes several days after the crash.

Some who had gathered at the palace compared the crash to the case of World War II leader Wladyslaw Sikorski. Sikorski died in a plane crash in 1943 in which some think Russia had a role.

Lech Kaczynski had been one of Russia's harshest critics, accusing the Kremlin of 'imperial ambitions' during the Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008.

Conspiracy theorists suggested Kaczynski was an inconvenient critic whom Moscow wanted gone.

Some theorists said they heard gunshots and cries for help in an amateur video taken by a Russian bystander minutes after the crash. The video - shown widely on international news stations - showed a burning plane through the trees of the forest.

The clip was posted online and quickly gave rise to a myriad of speculations. Some claimed they could see figures running and a woman waving for help as Russian gunmen finished off the passengers who had supposedly survived.

Versions of the video on YouTube - some with up to a million views - show the footage in slow motion, with arrows pointing at blurry lines that could be tree branches, smoke or humans, according to viewer comments.

The conspiracy theories indicate that some Poles are suspicious of the Russian government, but their numbers are small, according to Elzbieta Kaca, of the Institute of Public Affairs. She cited a poll showing that only 9 per cent of Poles believe the crash was the result of 'somebody's bad will.'

Those believing in such conspiracy theories are mostly members of the right-wing Law and Justice party, which Kaczynski co-founded with his twin brother, Jaroslaw, Kaca said.

'This is likely because that party recently created an image of Russia as an adversary,' Kaca said. 'Its supporters are thus less likely to trust Russian authorities.'

Some two weeks after the crash, Nasz Dziennik, a conservative Catholic daily, ran an article that asked a military official to explain how fake fog could be created for military purposes.

The plane crash was not mentioned in the article, but it was clear by the timing that the daily was speculating about its cause.

The conspiracy theories may seem outlandish to most Poles, but a majority nevertheless have little faith the full truth will ever be revealed, according to a survey of some 1,000 people by the Super Express daily.

As time goes on, doubts about the crash investigation are likely to deepen among many Poles, Kaca said. The probe should be completed as quickly as possible to put an end to speculation, she added.