Poland to commemorate attacks on NY
Poland will commemorate the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. On September 11, when terrorists hijacked four American airliners, two of which hit the WTC towers, almost 3,000 people were killed, including six Poles.
On the sixth anniversary of this tragedy, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) reaffirmed that Poland would still be a U.S. partner in the fight with terrorism, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported. MSZ will paid homage to victims of the attacks and prayed for them. The ministry has said the attacks were an act of barbarian aggression against all basic values of contemporary civilization.
According to experts on terrorism, a special center for anti-terrorist coordination is still lacking in Poland. And many Poles have not been educated on how to respond to an attack. In August, the Ministry of Interior announced the creation of a group consisting of anti-terrorist forces, policemen, diplomats and other specialists.
The anniversary was celebrated in various ways in Poland. People put wreaths and flowers at a monument for WTC victims and lit a fire. A special concert will be held in Warsaw’s Sowinskiego Park in the near future to commemorate those who lost their lives. The patron of the concert entitled “For NY” will be U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe. Performers will include Al Jarreau, the American jazz vocalist, and Michal Urbaniak. This will be the second time Urbaniak, a saxophonist and violinist as well as a composer and arranger, has performed at such a concert. The first occasion was last year when he played pieces prepared specially for the anniversary of the attack and was accompanied by the Aukso Orchestra.
This year’s concert will surely be a source of timeless emotions. Urbaniak will play with simple phrases that are catchy enough even for those without an ear for music. There is always a lot of novelty in his performances, too, as he is a great improviser. And his charismatic personality increases audience appreciation. Jarreau will amuse the audience during the concert by imitating the sounds of various musical instruments, including a double bass and a guitar. The date for the concert has yet to be confirmed.