Polish government officials are receiving training on how to inform about future casualties in Afghanistan without losing public support.

Three weeks ago, press spokesmen of all Poland’s ministries met in a governmental training centre in Jachranka, writes this week’s Newsweek Polska.

The classes were conducted by Jarosław Rybak, National Defence Ministry’s spokesman and a former journalist.

The training included talks on government activities in case of a terrorist attack or an armed operation in Afghanistan involving Polish soldiers’ deaths.

“We adopted a rule that we inform the families first and only then the general public” Rybak said. He also announced that the Ministry of Defence is not to conceal the possible errors made in Afghanistan.

“We are aware of the fact that the course of this mission may determine the future of the present government. If [planes with] iron coffins start to land in Okęcie airport, public support will drastically drop” the spokesman of one of the Ministries explains.

“We are getting ready for attacks by [other coalition members] Giertych and Lepper, who in such a situation would want to show that they are against Polish intervention in Afghanistan” he added.

According to Olgierd Annusewicz, PhD, communication expert, it is impossible to prepare an ideal strategy for the case of large wartime losses.

“One can design some principles of presenting information that would minimise losses in image. One mustn’t allow the situation when the first official information about victims is presented by the President of the Prime Minister, because it is likely to influence their image. It is better when the Minister of Defence does that” Annusewicz explains.

According to the expert, high rank authorities should show their interest in victims’ relatives and participate in the funerals.

The most important thing for the government is to prepare public opinion to the fact that a vast number of Polish soldiers may lose their lives in Afghanistan. There is no such a campaign at the moment.

“It is a mistake, because the people do not understand why the soldiers go there” Annusewicz believes. (jm)