It appears Russia is in the process of sending thousands of troops into Ukraine. The US is now considering sending lethal aid. I think it is time.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.640247
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.640247
Why quote an Israeli newspaper, instead of Bloomberg, NYT, CNN, etc.?It appears Russia is in the process of sending thousands of troops into Ukraine. The US is now considering sending lethal aid. I think it is time. http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.640247
Why quote an Israeli newspaper, instead of Bloomberg, NYT, CNN, etc.?
This isn't about any of those things. This is a Russian land grab. The "separatists" are led, financed, supplied, and directed by Putin. According to the "separatist" leader, they are mostly staffed by vacationing Russian troops. I am not sure who is the titular leaders of the separatists at this time. But the original separatist leader was a Russian state security officer as was the military commander.I still find it odd that these russians aren't being filmed. Theirs also little sabotage being done to acces roads to Russia. And no official assasin attempts against their leaders. considering how many kill amongst themself it's odd the Ukraine army doesn't get in on the action.
apart from that they could set up refugee camps all over the country and blow up the cities water treatment plants the people seem mobile enough to travel and a city won't last 3 days without water the people get distributated all over the country and even if they take small arms they cant take tanks and cannons. The situation should become much more manageable from that point on. Nobody gets killed and the infrastructure stays relativly unharmed; all mayor armory can be taken with little trouble or without civilian casualties.
Apart from that why not give them some extra rights who really cares perhaps the state shouldn't be able to denouce a language more then 50% speak and further liberties could be depended on how they depended they are. You want to manage your own economy Sure the moment you feel confertable enough not to be a red state go ahead (Donetsk and Luhansk are special economy zones).
Time for WWIII? Oh sure, let's get that started, why not.It appears Russia is in the process of sending thousands of troops into Ukraine. The US is now considering sending lethal aid. I think it is time.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.640247
Well let's hope it doesn't go that far. But it is a very real possibility. You need to understand what the stakes are. Putin has violated trust. His is repeating the steps which led to WWII. Putin's aggressive behavior will inevitably result in a confrontation with the West. So the question before the West is quite simple, do we confront Putin now or later. I think our experiences with Hitler taught us now is preferable to later. Putin is rebuilding his military. Putin is preparing for war with the West. Does the West want to confront a weaker or a stronger Putin? My choice would be weaker.Time for WWIII? Oh sure, let's get that started, why not.
You need to beef up on your history.Putin isn't Hitler and war with Russia is not at all inevitable. We are provoking war by denying centuries of Russian domination of the region. If we continue down this mistaken path, we will learn the lessons that Hitler and Napoleon learned when they did the same.
In dried form (Jerky) as there will not be electricity following WWIII.You need to beef up on beef, because it will be the end of history if we continue provoking Russia. It's insanity.
Did I say he was Hitler or war with Russia is inevitable? No, you are using a straw man. I did say and have said on multiple occasions, Putin is doing the same things Hitler did prior to WWII. And that is a simple fact, wither you want to admit it or not, that fact hasn't been lost on Western leaders. Appeasement didn't work for Chamberlain, and it hasn't worked with Putin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_AgreementPutin isn't Hitler and war with Russia is not at all inevitable. We are provoking war by denying centuries of Russian domination of the region. If we continue down this mistaken path, we will learn the lessons that Hitler and Napoleon learned when they did the same.
While it is good to learn from history, we should also not make the mistake of applying a particular (appeasement) narrative to every single event. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union not too long ago (barely 20 years), and has been integral to soviet culture since the 13th century. Many of it's citizens speak Russian. They are also not a part of NATO. It's not so much like Hitler invading Czechoslovakia, it's more like Germany annexing Austria. I do not believe that Putin seeks to dominate Europe as Hitler did. I do not believe Putin is operating concentration camps.Did I say he was Hitler or war with Russia is inevitable? No, you are using a straw man. I did say and have said on multiple occasions, Putin is doing the same things Hitler did prior to WWII. And that is a simple fact, wither you want to admit it or not, that fact hasn't been lost on Western leaders. Appeasement didn't work for Chamberlain, and it hasn't worked with Putin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Agreement
When Putin invaded, occupied and annexed portions of Georgia, the world objected, but did little else. Now we find Putin doing the same thing in Ukraine. The only thing Putin respects is strength. Putin is a bully. I have seen many in my lifetime. How do you figure that we are provoking war? We didn't invade Ukraine or Georgia? Putin did. Using your argument, France, Poland and the US provoked WWII. Colonial powers once dominated the globe. The United Kingdom once dominated North America, so are we to allow a return to colonialism? Using your argument hegemony is sacrosanct, and that simply isn't the case. Russia has on numerous occasions recognized Ukraine as a separate state and has recognized the same Ukrainian borders it has routinely violated (e.g. Trilateral Statement).
So you think if the West doesn't appease Putin and give him all that he wants, when he wants, we will repeat the mistakes of Hitler and Napoleon? Seriously? Spider do you know what those mistakes were? So you think the West should have stood by and watched Hitler invade his neighbors and kill millions more in his torture chambers. Ok, so you are a Nazi sympathizer. There is nothing the West has done which is even remotely similar to what Hitler or Napoleon did. Hitler invaded, annexed, and occupied neighboring states, just as Putin has done. Hitler used nationalism to become dictator, just as Putin has done. Putin has expanded his military, just as Hitler did. Napoleon overstretched his resources and that led to his downfall. None of that can be truthfully said of the West. However, it can be truthfully said of Putin. Putin is replicating what Hitler did and he is making the same mistakes. Putin is also spreading his military forces too thinly (e.g. using his strategic bombers to fly silly missions and pose no significant threat to those he is attempting to intimidate and which he cannot support because he has no global support facilities).
Putin has by comparison a very small army and even smaller navy. His military equipment is antiquated and mostly obsolete. Putin's resources are extremely limited.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs...ies-in-europe-should-deter-russian-aggression
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/five-nato-weapons-war-russia-should-fear-10769?page=2
The US alone has more than double the manpower, active troops, and several fold more equipment (e.g. tanks, aircraft, naval vessels, etc.) and more effective modern equipment and technologies. And US and NATO troops are better trained and more experienced. So your notions that the West is somehow weaker, is just fiction. The West has two choices, anoint Putin dictator of the world, or stand up to him. And if we chose the latter, it is best to do it sooner rather than later. I prefer the later. I like my freedoms. I like living in the West. I don't want to live under a corrupt dictator. You obviously don't share my love of freedom.
Another straw man.While it is good to learn from history, we should also not make the mistake of applying a particular (appeasement) narrative to every single event.
So using your "reasoning" again, India and the US should be colonies of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, according to your line of thinking, has the right to invade and annex India and the US as well as its other colonies. Indian's speak English and of course we Americans speak English and share a common culture too.Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union not too long ago (barely 20 years), and has been integral to soviet culture since the 13th century. Many of it's citizens speak Russian. They are also not a part of NATO. It's not so much like Hitler invading Czechoslovakia, it's more like Germany annexing Austria. I do not believe that Putin seeks to dominate Europe as Hitler did. I do not believe Putin is operating concentration camps.
Oh, what is false about them?You are presenting false choices.
Why would we want to support the so called "Ukrainian rebels"? Ukrainian "rebels" are Putin's men. We are and have been supporting the Ukrainian government with non-lethal aid. I don't know where you are getting your news, but the war is very real. People are dying every day on the Ukrainian battlefront. There is nothing "fake" about the Russian-Ukrainian War.We could support the Ukrainian rebels through non-military means (sanctions). But anything more is futile. Russia can defeat any army Ukraine can muster with conventional weapons. But if we were serious about defeating them, if the war got real, we would see threats of nuclear attacks which would basically call our bluff. We aren't going to suffer tens of thousands of potential American victims for Ukraine. And for what? Empty nationalism? It would be different if Russia invaded a NATO country, but he didn't and he won't. Russia's power guarantees it a measure of dominance, and there's nothing we can do about that apart from worldwide thermonuclear warfare.
The evidence presented at the conference in three languages and many photographs is available for others to examine, if they doubt the Burk maker's analysis.http://news.yahoo.com/missile-maker-says-russia-did-not-shoot-down-145334005.html said:State-run Almaz-Antey said its own analysis of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines plane brought down on July 17 last year, killing 298 people, indicated it was hit by a BUK 9M38M1 surface-to-air missile armed with a 9H314M warhead.
Shrapnel holes in the plane were consistent with that kind of missile and warhead, it said. Such missiles have not been produced in Russia since 1999 and the last ones were delivered to foreign customers, it said, adding that the Russian armed forces now mainly use a 9M317M warhead with the BUK system.
After a company presentation translated simultaneously into three languages, he said Ukraine's armed forces had still had nearly 1,000 such missiles in its arsenal in 2005, when it held talks with Almaz-Antey on prolonging their lifespan.
Criticizing sanctions imposed on Almaz-Antey by the European Union, he said: "The corporation was not involved in the Malaysian Boeing catastrophe. Correspondingly, the economic sanctions applied to the corporation for that are ... unjust."
... Thus, it seems to me that the MH17 was shot down by a Buk missile that probably had been in Ukraine for several years, not supplied to the rebels in recent months. As the Ukraine government has already re-captured several cities briefly held by the rebels and reduced the territory held by the Russian speaking rebels, and is very likely to completely crush the Rebel's self proclaimed autonomous regime, which even Russia does not recognize, before the end of 2014,
When post 170 was written, the Rebels were being defeated, not the case today.it makes no sense for Russia to supply Buk to the rebels that will very likely soon fall into the hands of the current Ukrainian government, which is certainly no longer an ally of Russia, to understate the facts. The only way that would make sense for Putin / Russia to supply Buk missiles to the Rebels now, is if Putin has decided to recognize the rebel's self proclaimed autonomous state status and plans to positively responded to their request for invading Russian troops to protect the Russian speaking population from their claimed abuse by the current government of Ukraine. Russia has several times proclaimed it is both their right and duty to act to protect Russian nationals and abused Russian speaking communities, even by armed invasion if needed. ...
Hmm, so you believe Putin's arms manufacturer rather than the European powers who actually have the wreckage of MH17 and have actually examined the wreckage of MH17? Well at least you are consistent.The Ukrainians, do not deny a prior misstate: In 2001 that mainly Russian speaking Ukrainian army did use a burk to shoot down, by accident, a high flying Soviet passenger plane! Nor could they then blame it on the not yet existing "rebels."
In addition to the logic and reasons I gave in prior post 170, two paragraphs re-quoted at end of this post, there is now scientific analysis by the maker of the Burk missiles supporting the point of view that the Ukrainain forces which did shoot done other planes of the rebels did bring down MH17: The evidence presented at the conference in three languages and many photographs is available for others to examine, if they doubt the Burk maker's analysis.When post 170 was written, the Rebels were being defeated, not the case today. Now it may make sense for Putin to supply Burk missiles to them. The ones they had when MH17 was shot down were captured from a briefly over run Ukraine army base but not many, if any, Rebels had been trained in how to fire them.
No it is not. He and Russian army airforce experts for a few years denied MH17 was destroyed by a Burk. They claimed Ukrainian Airforce shot it down with their cannons. - That is consistent with round puncture holes in the aluminum skin of the MH17. All who have examined those wholes agree they are basically round and definitely not the slot shaped wholes that all Burks made in Russian have had since 1999 would have made.... There really isn't new news there. That is what Putin has been saying from day one.
No one is denying Russia supplied Burks. All agree that more than two decades ago, Russia did supply the Burks of that era to all members of their western defense line, Ukrainians included. - They trained Ukrainian army and others to be Burk battery teams effective in the use of the Burk anti-air craft weapon system. The US still had squadrons of SAC bombers they were to be used against. (SAC = Strategic Air Command - I was well paid by SAC one summer to work on a "penetration aid." It was QRC -65 as I recall.*)... And an older BUK system even if true, doesn't rule out the fact it was supplied by Mother Russia.
No it is not. He and Russian army airforce experts for a few years denied MH17 was destroyed by a Burk. They claimed Ukrainian Airforce shot it down with their cannons. - That is consistent with round puncture holes in the aluminum skin of the MH17. All who have examined those wholes agree they are basically round and definitely not the slot shaped wholes that all Burks made in Russian have had since 1999 would have made. No one is denying Russia supplied Burks. All agree that more than two decades ago, Russia did supply the Burks of that era to all members of their western defense line, Ukrainians included. - They trained Ukrainian army and others to be Burk battery teams effective in the use of the Burk anti-air craft weapon system. The US still had squadrons of SAC bombers they were to be used against. (SAC = Strategic Air Command - I was well paid by SAC one summer to work on a "penetration aid.")
The round holes are consistent with either air craft cannon or with the early verision of the Burks supplied to the Ukrainians in large numbers long ago, but not with the Burks made in Russias after 1999.
This is not a question of who to belief but a conclusion that follows from the facts all accept.