CONFIDENTIAL
4. The Polish Amnesty and US-Polish Relation
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Latest official figures suggest the Polish amnesty has been implemented to the letter. The Polish authorities announced on 24 August that of the original 652 political detainees, 630 have been released (including all of the prominent 11 KOR/Solidarity detainees). Of those still detained 20 have apparently benefited from the amnesty only in respect of politically but not criminally motivated offences. prominent Solidarity activists, Lis and Mierzejewski, were both charged with treason and are therefore at present excluded from the amnesty provisions (but there are reports that the authorities may be trying to find a satisfactory means of applying the provisions to them as well). In the light of confirmation from the post that the amnesty has been implemented in full, we are now pursuing plans for Mr Rifkind to visit Poland later this year, as agreed by the Secretary of State.
In response to the amnesty, the Americans have lifted their restrictions on the Polish airline's scheduled services to the United States and on the official US/Polish scientific and technical cooperation programme.
In a speech to Polish Americans on 17 August, President Reagan also confirmed that 'complete and reasonable implementation of the amnesty would
allow reactivation of Poland's application for membership of the IMF'. The Polish Government's response, initially hostile, has now acknowledged the US concessions but has also continued to insist that all US sanctions against Poland must be lifted and US interference in Poland's internal affairs' ended.
The Western press has also given prominence to President Reagan's remarks in the same speech about Yalta:
'We reject any interpretation of the Yalta agreement that suggests American consent for the division of Europe into spheres of influence. On the contrary, we see that agreement as a pledge by the three great Powers to restore full independence and to allow free and democratic elections in all countries liberated from the Nazis after World War Two, and there is no reason to absolve the Soviet Union or ourselves from this commitment.
We shall continue to press for full compliance with it
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CONFIDENTIAL
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