Eastern Europe/Ukraine [Feb 6th 2015]

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 27 Feb 2015 16:57

Confucius say:

Smart rat is first to jump off sinking ship. No wait for ship to actually sink and pull down stupid rats with it.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Feb 2015 19:34

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/world ... .html?_r=0

Spain Arrests 8 on Suspicion of Fighting for Rebels in Ukraine
By RAPHAEL MINDERFEB. 27, 2015

MADRID — The Spanish police on Friday carried out the first arrests in Western Europe of citizens accused of traveling to Ukraine to fight on the side of the Russian-backed rebels there.

Eight Spaniards were arrested in dawn raids across different regions of Spain, including in Madrid and Barcelona, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Those arrested, the ministry said, recently returned to Spain after going to Ukraine last year to join pro-Russian troops around Luhansk and Donetsk. The ministry said that they had been identified partly by information that the eight had posted online, including photographs of themselves wearing paramilitary uniforms and training with explosives and assault rifles.

“He was an open boy, he would have talked of this,” said Mimon Zizaoui about his son, Mustafa, who was detained along with five other men in Melilla as part of a crackdown on militants.

The fighters are likely to be charged with taking part in activities considered to be terrorism by Ukraine, the ministry said, including taking part in assassinations and carrying illegal weapons. The ministry also said that fighting in Ukraine could in itself amount to a violation of “the neutrality of Spain.”

A spokeswoman for the Spanish National Police said that it could not release further details because the police operation is continuing. The Spanish news media reported that those who were arrested included former members of the Spanish military.

Francisco de Borja Lasheras, associate director of the Madrid office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, said that there was “a long narrative among certain segments of the Spanish left that anything that happens in Eastern Europe is a C.I.A. conspiracy and part of a Western imperialist agenda.” That narrative, he suggested, blended with “a certain nostalgia for the Soviet Union” that could be traced back to the Spanish Civil War, when “the Soviet Union was the only power supporting directly the Spanish Communists.”

Until now, Spain’s efforts to stop its citizens from taking part in overseas conflicts have focused on fighting in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, where the government says dozens of Spaniards might have joined the ranks of Islamic State militants.

Last year, the Spanish police arrested 47 people accused of recruiting fighters for the Syrian conflict. The police said on Tuesday that they had arrested four people accused of setting up online platforms to persuade young women to join Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. Two of the arrests were made in Melilla, a Spanish enclave in northern Africa that has turned into a hot spot for the recruitment of Islamic fighters.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, several associations showing support for rebels in that country have formed in Spain and in other European countries.

Among the Spanish groups is the Brigada Internacional Carlos Palomino, which posted a message online last year denouncing American support to Ukraine and promising that the fighting in eastern Ukraine would be “the grave of fascism.” The brigade took its name from a teenager who was killed on the Madrid subway in 2007 by a soldier linked to neo-Nazi groups.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Feb 2015 23:21

UlanBatori wrote:Confucius say:
Smart rat is first to jump off sinking ship. No wait for ship to actually sink and pull down stupid rats with it.

Confucious could have batted well for West Indies.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 27 Feb 2015 23:35

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-12-03/ ... viet-union
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics ... s-20140312
This may explain why the US wanted to take control of Crimea or at least throw Russia out of there -- a large number (upto 1/3 of russia's arsenal) of Russian nuclear assets are in Crimea, specifically the port of Sevastopol. and a significant number in korosten -- a mind infected with the cold war MAD doctrine would calculate that removing these nuclear assets from Russia's control would set Russia back irrecoverably given that they no longer have the ability economically to recreate these assets. The US can then just throw START and other treaties into the dustbin and retain total nuclear superiority.

If A is the biggest dada in the cul-de-sac, and A's old adversary R who A thought was vanquished, now shows signs of resurgence, and there is a new adversary in the horizon C who is A's ex-munna, and A thinks A and C should cooperate and compete together to keep the rest of the tools in the neighbourhood in check, then R needs to be down and out for the count permanently, so that A is not faced with a situation of C coopting R down the line and become a significant challenge to A. Just a mental sneeze...pliss excuse.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 28 Feb 2015 08:00

@strobetalbott · 1h 1 hour ago

The Yeltsin Tragedy: his heart & vision for Russia was with #Nemtsov, his safety net for his family was with #Putin.

Now, a concerted effort by the strobe talbott and Brookings types pimping out the oh-mother-russia-see-how-putin-hates-you line with the barking chorus in CNN and other news media -- this politician in the opposition was shot in front of Kremlin with insinuations that Putin is responsible. Some of the jokers on CNN are claiming that Putin will hose down the crime scene with a fire hose to remove all the blood! Drawing inspiration from the Pakis clearly.

If putin or the Russian govt. wanted this guy dead, you would think they could do the whole plausible deniability thing to a tee, like the whole polonium episode in the UK, rather than do something so obvious just to destroy local support for putin by creating a putin-is-enemy-of-freedom-and-democracy-and-he-pinches-little-toddlers-when-their-mothers-are-not-noticing image of him. Really pretty clumsy, and nicely timed right after Kyiv seems to be bleaching their white handkerchief for eventual use.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 28 Feb 2015 08:40

Tuvaluan wrote: This may explain why the US wanted to take control of Crimea or at least throw Russia out of there -- a large number (upto 1/3 of russia's arsenal) of Russian nuclear assets are in Crimea, specifically the port of Sevastopol. and a significant number in korosten -- a mind infected with the cold war MAD doctrine would calculate that removing these nuclear assets from Russia's control would set Russia back irrecoverably given that they no longer have the ability economically to recreate these assets. The US can then just throw START and other treaties into the dustbin and retain total nuclear superiority.

Thats not true , The Black Sea Fleet in Crimea/Sevastapol is the only access to Mediterranean Sea and all year warm water port so more its strategic location that matters.

It has little to do if any thing with Nuclear Weapons they dont have nuclear weapons there much less 1/3 of it.

This is a nice brief write up on importance of Black Sea Fleet to Russian Navy

https://russiamil.wordpress.com/2014/03 ... -strategy/

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 28 Feb 2015 09:13

^^ Yes, your theory seems more appealing. As does all the articles and read of the situation that I have had so far. Apart from all the talk that I have had on this with people.

Russia needs its all year long warm warter port. Without the Black Sea, they suddenly look quite puny. With very little naval options.

There is the only foolish saying too. "Russia without Ukraine is a country, Russia with Ukraine is an empire". --> I take it to mean the access to the naval ports. W/o that not much about Ukraine, IMO.

besides, isn't it that Ukraine didn't develop nuclear tech because Russia stopped it from proceeding. I also vaguely remember that the Russians kept the nuc facilities there also to ally Uk fears. --> Which all points to me that the world powers will have done the right thing by allowing Russia to at least take the nuc stuff away in case they lost Ukraine / so on and so forth. I am sure there will be enough legalese in the treaties to ensure that this aspect is taken care of.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 28 Feb 2015 09:32

why bring the revolution forward? I dont think the public opinion is against putin. a few opposition politicians arent creating a maidan.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 28 Feb 2015 09:42

China Just Sided With Russia Over The Ukraine Conflict

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-2 ... e-conflict

Xinhua reported that late on Thursday Qu Xing, China's ambassador to Belgium, was quoted as blaming competition between Russia and the West for the Ukraine crisis, urging Western powers to "abandon the zero-sum mentality" with Russia.

Cited by Reuters, Xing said that Western powers should take into consideration Russia's legitimate security concerns over Ukraine.

Reuters' assessment of Xing speech: "an unusually frank and open display of support for Moscow's position in the crisis."

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western powers of trying to dominate and impose their ideology on the rest of world. The United States and European delegations slammed Moscow for supporting rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Qu said Washington's involvement in Ukraine could "become a distraction in its foreign policy".

And then, Qu's slap in the face of Obama: "The United States is unwilling to see its presence in any part of the world being weakened, but the fact is its resources are limited, and it will be to some extent hard work to sustain its influence in external affairs."

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 28 Feb 2015 10:17

vijaykarthik wrote: Russia needs its all year long warm warter port. Without the Black Sea, they suddenly look quite puny. With very little naval options.

Surely, and Hey, that was my very first post on this topic in the previous avatar of this thread on the possible reason for why Russia just ensured that it took over Crimea at the very beginning and then let the rebels work their way westward. Fully agree that warm water ports are nothing to be sneezed at for a such vast country that borders the arctic circle in the north, not to mention the capacity of cargo via water is orders of magnitude larger than via land.

However, don't want to start fitting facts just to fit one theory, which then means there needs to be other theories, so thinking of other possibilities.

This shiny new theory is based on the notion that somehow the US does not want to push this fight if it cannot get its hands on Crimea….I am not sure that is true, but if it was, the above could be a reason.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 28 Feb 2015 10:21

I just hope Russia drops 10-20 % of Euro/USD and converts into Gold and uses Renminbi in some part as reserve currency.

And dropping the bonds of West and invest in BRICS bond that pays higher returns.

Selling Oil/Gas in Renminbi/Rouble should be good in return for larger investment from China/BRICS country.

Eventual EU should be a good to have customer for its energy and BRICS as must have specially India and China.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 28 Feb 2015 10:26

Tuvaluan wrote:
vijaykarthik wrote: Russia needs its all year long warm warter port. Without the Black Sea, they suddenly look quite puny. With very little naval options.

Surely, and Hey, that was my very first post on this topic in the previous avatar of this thread on the possible reason for why Russia just ensured that it took over Crimea at the very beginning and then let the rebels work their way westward. Fully agree that warm water ports are nothing to be sneezed at for a such vast country that borders the arctic circle in the north, not to mention the capacity of cargo via water is orders of magnitude larger than via land.

However, don't want to start fitting facts just to fit one theory, which then means there needs to be other theories, so thinking of other possibilities.

This shiny new theory is based on the notion that somehow the US does not want to push this fight if it cannot get its hands on Crimea….I am not sure that is true, but if it was, the above could be a reason.

The shiny new theory is that the "west" wants to bring crimea back into the "disputed" status. Crimea was the prize, and I cant tell why. The warm water alone doesnt cut it for me.

How far the fight goes, depends upon the inhabitants. Ukrainians could see light, kick out porky and this would be over tomorrow.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 28 Feb 2015 10:38

Shreeman wrote: The warm water alone doesnt cut it for me.

The shiny new theory is not warm water ports -- that is the well-worn oldish theory.

the shiny new theory I mention is a few post before this one.

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-12-03/ ... viet-union
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics ... s-20140312
This may explain why the US wanted to take control of Crimea or at least throw Russia out of there -- a large number (upto 1/3 of russia's arsenal) of Russian nuclear assets are in Crimea, specifically the port of Sevastopol. and a significant number in korosten -- a mind infected with the cold war MAD doctrine would calculate that removing these nuclear assets from Russia's control would set Russia back irrecoverably given that they no longer have the ability economically to recreate these assets. The US can then just throw START and other treaties into the dustbin and retain total nuclear superiority.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 28 Feb 2015 11:30

In a related move,Russia signs a deal with Cyprus for using its ports for the RuN and also an air base. Ck the ME td. The Russians have also hugely beefed up mil capability in the Crimea,stationing new LR anti-air missiles,anti-ship missiles including Iskandar tactical missiles which are supposed to also have anti-ship capabilities. This gives Russia a huge offensive capability in the Black Sea and with facilities now available in Cyprus along with Syria (and who knows perhaps even with Greece in the future should it leave the EU and even NATO!) ,Russia is dramatically showing the flag where its interests lie.

Warmongering US at it yet again! Will the US never learn? The "eco" battle is now just beginning,as Russia threatens to turn off the energy taps and the UKR economy heads for bankruptcy.Will America buty billions of $$$ worth of chocos from Willy Wanker?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/nat ... story.html

Top U.S. intelligence official backs arming Ukraine forces against Russia

As fighting in the east begins to quiet, focus turns to threats to the country’s economy.

“From an intelligence community perspective, that is a policy issue,” Clapper said. “I would favor it, but that is a personal perspective, and it does not represent an official company policy of the intelligence community.”

The administration is under growing pressure from some lawmakers to provide lethal weaponry to Ukraine. President Obama has said he is considering doing so, and some members of his Cabinet are said to favor sending arms. The United States has already sent the Ukrainians non-lethal aid such as night-vision goggles, radios and body armor.

While European leaders expressed some hope the latest ceasefire proposal would push the conflict closer to an end, NATO’s top military commander, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, said this week that fighting in eastern Ukraine was “getting worse every day.”

On Thursday, Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, who heads the Defense Intelligence Agency, appeared to differ with Clapper, telling lawmakers at the same hearing that U.S. weapons would not reach Ukrainian troops quickly enough and wouldn’t change the battlefield balance.

Opponents of sending lethal weapons to Ukraine are reluctant to see the United States drawn further into the worst European conflict since the Balkan wars, even as Putin increases economic pressure on Ukraine.

In a hearing focused on global threats to U.S. security, both officials raised flags about a host of other conflicts, including Afghanistan, where U.S. forces have shifted to a training role ahead of their planned withdrawal in 2016.

Even after years of U.S. and NATO support for Afghan security forces, Stewart said that Afghan police and soldiers “remain stalemated with the Taliban-led insurgency.”

“The Taliban will probably sustain the capability to propagate a rural-based insurgency that can project intermittent attacks in urban areas through at least 2018,” he said in his prepared remarks, well after the planned end to the U.S. military mission there.

The bleak assessment is a reminder of the challenges that remain as military leaders make the case for slowing the U.S. exit from Afghanistan, a key foreign policy priority for Obama. Clapper, in his own prepared testimony, said Afghanistan would continue to require outside help to fight “an increasingly aggressive” Taliban.

Clapper suggested a similar dynamic exists in Iraq, despite a growing U.S. force there scrambling to assist Iraqi troops against Islamic State militants.

“Over six months into the coalition campaign ... the frontlines against the group have largely stabilized,” Clapper said. “No side is able to muster the resources necessary to attain its territorial ambitions.”

The return to Iraq is an uncomfortable one for Obama, who made the decision to pull out all U.S. troops in 2011.

Stewart said it could be at least six months before Iraqi forces are ready to mount a campaign to recapture major Iraqi cities, such as Mosul, from the Islamic State. Last week, U.S. Central Command said a Mosul campaign could take place as early as April or May.

“When we talk about the six to nine months additional training, it is to deal with an urban fight, which is very, very different, very complex,” he said.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 28 Feb 2015 11:45

Tuvaluan wrote:
Shreeman wrote: The warm water alone doesnt cut it for me.
The shiny new theory is not warm water ports -- that is the well-worn oldish theory.

the shiny new theory I mention is a few post before this one.

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-12-03/ ... viet-union
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics ... s-20140312
This may explain why the US wanted to take control of Crimea or at least throw Russia out of there -- a large number (upto 1/3 of russia's arsenal) of Russian nuclear assets are in Crimea, specifically the port of Sevastopol. and a significant number in korosten -- a mind infected with the cold war MAD doctrine would calculate that removing these nuclear assets from Russia's control would set Russia back irrecoverably given that they no longer have the ability economically to recreate these assets. The US can then just throw START and other treaties into the dustbin and retain total nuclear superiority.

It doesnt really matter now. Crimea isnt going anywhere for all the nonsense about occupied and disputed.

Can porky get enough advisors and trainers to sustain his FATA style eukraine?

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 01 Mar 2015 02:56

Cold war! Putin threatens to turn off our gas and plunge Britain into deep freeze

VLADIMIR Putin has threatened to turn off Russia’s gas supply and plunge British homes into deep freeze.

The hardman Russian President said Kremlin energy giant Gazprom will disrupt its gas flow to the rest of Europe in the war over Ukraine.

He is demanding advance payments from Ukraine for its gas amid a shaky cease-fi re between the two warring countries.

If Kiev refuses, former KGB spy Putin, 62, warned that his officials would cut off pipelines, leaving much of Europe in a fuel crisis.

Up to half of Britain’s gas can be supplied by Russia at any one time.

Putin said Ukraine had paid only enough cash “for three or four days’ gas supplies”.

He added: “Unless there is a prepayment, Gazprom will terminate the supply.

“Of course this may create a threat to transit to Europe, to our European partners.”

Mad Vlad accused Kiev of restricting supplies in a bid to wipe out pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

He said: “Imagine these people will be left without gas in winter.

“Not only that there is famine, it smells of genocide.”

It comes after RAF fighter jets were forced to escort Russian in British air space off the coast of Cornwall earlier this month.

Cheers

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 01 Mar 2015 09:45

Apparently UkBapZis are 'fiercely contesting' Donetsk airport - deaths in shelling. So why is it NOT Ok for Freedom Fighters to liberate Kharkiv and Mariupol, I wonder.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 01 Mar 2015 10:01

UlanBatori wrote:Apparently UkBapZis are 'fiercely contesting' Donetsk airport - deaths in shelling. So why is it NOT Ok for Freedom Fighters to liberate Kharkiv and Mariupol, I wonder.

Hmm. Fighting again? All I saw (kirket has been distracting) was withdrawals.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 01 Mar 2015 10:03

Fairfield University: Stephen Cohen Lecture (February 5, 2015)

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 01 Mar 2015 11:06

^^^I would take what Uneven Cohen says with a 100 Kg bag of salt. He has been so wrong about so many other things that he stands discredited.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 01 Mar 2015 11:27

^^That's not Uneven. That's another Stephen Cohen who is probably the only sane person left in the US vis a vis Ukraine.

Listen to it carefully people.

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 01 Mar 2015 11:46

Uneven is the duplicate stephen cohen.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 01 Mar 2015 13:54

Are there any news reports on ceasefire breaking down? I still dont see no big deal anywhere.

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 01 Mar 2015 13:55

Britain is not dependent on Russian gas. De Gaulle stated that its not part of europe for good reason.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 01 Mar 2015 13:57

Britain is dependent on russian money, and needs cheapish gas from somewhere. It can be from the middle east, but the situation there is not predictable either.

What really ia the "british prpduct" now? London markets crash and all the conomic confidence evaporates overnight

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 01 Mar 2015 14:49

Austin wrote:Fairfield University: Stephen Cohen Lecture (February 5, 2015)

Good lecture indeed with objective analysis and a dig at US media . The state department has not declared him a KGB agent so far . So , he seems lucky on that front.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 01 Mar 2015 17:03

He is old hat from SU times and part of detant group with SU so he is know figure but he is rarely called on any MSM channel for interview

Yogi_G · Post by **Yogi_G** » 01 Mar 2015 18:19

All Putin has to do is to ask the Russian mafia to seel of their property in Londonistan and that will trigger off a real estate crash. Some imp exchanges still exist in UK, as Sri Gujral said UKstan is a third rate power. A useless island of intermittently fighting Germannic tribes who had their place under the sun for about 200 years which pales in comparison to the pure bred civs.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 02 Mar 2015 00:38

JE Menon wrote:^^That's not Uneven. That's another Stephen Cohen who is probably the only sane person left in the US vis a vis Ukraine.

Listen to it carefully people.

You are right. I am sorry. This is Stephan F. Cohen who is a Russia expert and Uneven Cohen is Stephan P. Cohen "South Asia expert".
From a distance they look identical and sound similar too. I watched a bit of that video and concluded how could Uneven make so much sense? Daal meh kuch kala.

P.

F.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 02 Mar 2015 00:48

So sakaashvili is on TV making putin == hitler case. He must be someboy's son-in-law to be around and visible after the grand kcufup in geoyrgiya.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 02 Mar 2015 10:01

Russian Jewish community blasts Ukraine and Baltics nations for glorifying Nazi collaborators
Published time: February 27, 2015
http://rt.com/politics/236119-russian-j ... n-ukraine/

Russia’s largest Jewish organization has condemned the authorities of Ukraine, Baltic nations and Moldova over their official line of support to persons and groups known for close cooperation with Nazi Germany and crimes against humanity during WWII.

The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) approved the resolution ‘Against reviewing the result of the Second World War’ on Friday.

In this document, the leaders of the Russian Jewry againnoted that the current regime in Kiev was portraying as heroes and liberators the OUN-UPA group (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists – Ukrainian Insurgents’ Army), regardless of the fact that its members had only gained notoriety by killing thousands of civilians over their ethnic roots, mostly Jews and Poles.

FJCR delegates drew attention to the actions of the authorities of the Baltic countries who "made heroes of former SS officers."

The FJCR members also recalled the 2013 incident when the writers’ association in Moldova nominated Paul Goma for the Nobel Peace Prize, ignoring the fact that this man was an avid anti-Semite who has described Holocaust as a “just retribution” to the Jews who, in his words, lacked to show loyalty to the government in 1940.

“By attempting to review the importance of the heroic deeds of the Soviet Military and the Soviet People, the authorities of these countries are directly or indirectly justifying collaborators,” the resolution states adding that “even partial justification of such phenomenon is in reality an acknowledgement of the fact that any extremist and terrorist ideology is acceptable and can be implemented.”

In January this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in the Moscow Jewish Museum on the 70th anniversary of liberation of the Auschwitz death camp and noted that modern attempts to rewrite history are often made by people who try to distract attention from their nations’ collaboration with Hitler.

Putin: Those who rewrite history attempt to hide own disgrace

“It is hard to imagine that real ‘death factories,’ mass executions and deportations have become a terrible reality of the 20th century, that they were cold-bloodedly and thriftily organized in a Europe that seemed to be civilized back then,” Putin said.

“Direct attempts to silence history, to distort and rewrite history are inadmissible and immoral. Behind these attempts often lies the desire to hide one’s own disgrace, the disgrace of cowardice, hypocrisy and treachery, the intent to justify the direct or indirect collaboration with Nazism,” he added.

And now for something concerning India.
Moscow confirms India considering free trade zone with Eurasian Economic Union
Published time: February 27, 2015

India has proposed creating a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, said Alexey Pushkov, head of the International Committee of Russian State Duma.

"The question was raised by India, which is now considering a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. This is a new level in our relationship. The possibility is being discussed," he told reporters Friday during an official visit to New Delhi.

On Thursday TASS reported that India will start negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan within the next six months.

India to negotiate free trade zone with Russia-led Customs Union
The Eurasian Economic Union of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia started functioning in January 2015.
READ MORE: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan sign ‘epoch' Eurasian Economic Union

The organization was created on the skeleton of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus is aimed at improving regional economic cooperation. The group has a population of 171 million people and a GDP of nearly $3 trillion. In the near future the union is expected to be joined by Kyrgyzstan.

China has also said it is willing to join a free trade zone with Eurasian Economic Union.
READ MORE: China and Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union may set up free trade zone

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 02 Mar 2015 11:29

http://swarajyamag.com/world/the-killin ... ace-value/

On the killing of Boris Nemtsov...

Y. Kanan · Post by **Y. Kanan** » 02 Mar 2015 12:00

Yogi_G wrote:All Putin has to do is to ask the Russian mafia to seel of their property in Londonistan and that will trigger off a real estate crash.

LOL Tom Clancy fantasies notwithstanding, Putin's not that powerful. He doesn't exert anywhere near that level of control.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 02 Mar 2015 12:25

Austin wrote:Fairfield University: Stephen Cohen Lecture (February 5, 2015)

OMG. I initially thought it was too big and wanted to ask something for a summary. But on checking only a bit of it [not totally done yet], its a MUST watch.

Many thanks for this. Brilliant, IMO. As he says, people just don't read anymore.

Every person is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.

Many new things that aren't part of stuff that we don't hear otherwise. Fantastic.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 03 Mar 2015 02:20

I don't know how Stephen Good Cohen goes to sleep, knowing that the Stephen Paki Cohen is out there confusing people with the same name.

One is an honest man and a scholar and a brave man.

The other is a sniveling oiseule.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Mar 2015 03:25

Second that. The latter part I mean.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Mar 2015 08:08

Russia Today faces inquiry over anti-western comments in Ukraine debate

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 03 Mar 2015 10:47

The phenomenon of RT is worrying the western propaganda machine immensely. As happened when CNN arrived with real time clips of GW1,then Al Jazeera with an alternative voice for the Middle East,RT has arrived with a very slick cast of anchors and celebs like Larry King,to provide the alternative to Yanqui and poodle crap. RT is available on most TV sat networks. Its popularity is increasing steadily.What has alarmed the Wets is that more people in the West are now tuning in to RT to get alternatives news about events in the UKR,world affairs,etc.The West will now try and engineer it so that RT is banned from the western air waves. The more it tries to ban it the more will its strength increase.

This is how the Vietnam War started! One can expect the inevitable opposite reaction from Russia. It can now openly provide "logistic support" to the Donetsk and eastern republics. Blackwater types also want to "cash in" on this new conflict!

http://rt.com/news/236953-us-logistics- ... aine/[b]US govt issues logistics support tender for 300 military personnel in Ukraine[/b]
Published time: March 02, 2015

The US is planning to send about 300 military personnel to Ukraine from March to October to train the Ukrainian army, according to a tender on a US government website that requires logistics for the troops.

The US government has published a tender, saying it’s hiring services for the movement of equipment and approximately 300 US personnel in Ukraine, according to the Federal Business Opportunities website.

“The contractor shall provide all equipment, vehicles, and personnel necessary to provide ground transportation in accordance with the ordering clause,” the tender states.

Transportation will be required from 5 March until 31 October for about three return trips from Lvov International Airport to the International Peace Keeping and Security Center (IPSC) in Yavoriv.

US military to train Kiev troops fighting in E. Ukraine – US Army commander

In February, Washington confirmed it will send troops to Ukraine to train Kiev troops fighting against the militias in eastern Ukraine.

“We’ll train them in security tasks, medical [tasks], how to operate in an environment where the Russians are jamming [communications] and how to protect [themselves] from Russian and rebel artillery," US Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges was cited as saying by Reuters on February 11.

The Ukrainian government requested the training as "they work to reform their police forces and establish their newly formed National Guard," Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Vanessa Hillman told Defense News in January.

Funding for the mission was requested by the President Barack Obama administration in the fiscal 2015 budget and comes from the congressionally authorized Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF). The US is reportedly ready to spend $19 million to put the Ukrainian National Guard through its paces.

READ MORE: Cameron commits troops & ‘non-lethal aid’ to Ukraine

The UK has followed the US and is planning to send up to 75 British military personnel in March. They will offer medical, intelligence, logistics and infantry training to the Ukrainian army.

Prime Minister David Cameron said in February that UK support would be given “well away from the area of conflict,” adding that the purpose of aid would be to improve Ukraine’s tactical advantage.

Poland voiced support by saying that Warsaw will send military advisers to Ukraine.

"The defense ministry intends to send Polish instructors to support the training of Ukrainian non-commissioned officers," Defense Ministry adviser Boguslaw Pacek told Reuters in February.

The Yavoriv operations site, near the Polish-Ukrainian border, is the largest military firing range in Europe, covering 40,000 square kilometers. The last international military exercises in the Lvov region took place in September 2014. About 1,300 servicemen from 15 countries, including the US, Canada, Germany and the UK participated.

READ MORE: US partly to blame for Ukraine’s use of cluster bombs – McCain

Despite the Minsk-2 peace agreement brokered on February 12, Washington is still mulling over sending weapons to Ukraine.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in February that supplying weapons would “escalate the whole situation” in eastern Ukraine and “would be a major blow to the Minsk agreements.”

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon previously warned that supplying weapons to Ukraine would worsen the conflict, Reuters reported in February.
US arming Kiev would ‘explode’ situation in E. Ukraine – Russian Foreign Ministry

The White House has also admitted that possible military assistance from the US to Ukraine could increase violence.

“Providing additional military assistance could and is likely to have the effect of increasing the bloodshed,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on February 5.

The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, said the US is already supplying Kiev with ammunition and weapons on a “large-scale basis.”

Meanwhile, former US diplomat James Jatras, told RT: “This discussion in Washington about supplying weapons has been going on for some time. Usually that indicates that some kind of a covert program is already in operation and that we already are supplying some weapons directly.”

Commenting on a statement recently made by Poroshenko that the weapons are not intended for offensive use, Jatras said: “The notion that there are offensive and defensive weapons is really absurd here,” and that supplying the weapons is “clearly designed to give Kiev some kind of military option that Kiev does not currently have, and of course it has an offensive intent behind it.”

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 03 Mar 2015 11:03

Satya_anveshi wrote:Russia Today faces inquiry over anti-western comments in Ukraine debate

One should read/watch the BBC , CNN to see anti-Russian propoganda.

Hopefully BBC and CNN gets the same treatement from Russian Regulatory watch dog

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 03 Mar 2015 11:19

Some hints that the hit was by agent provocateurs from the UKR. This could be yet another dirty tricks attempt by the UKR who tried to pin the Malaysian airliner shooting upon eastern rebels,and after that failed have tried again to demonise Russia.Decades ago,a similar attempt/hit was made upon the UN Sec-Gen Dag Hammerskjold in the Congo.It was blamed upon pilot error,but evidence later showed that the aircraft was shot down. Attempts to drag Putin into disgrace have been made steadily since the Litvinenko murder,after he refused to toe the West's line on global crises.

BBC News - Dag Hammarskjold death: UN 'should reopen inquiry'
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24020207

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/m ... iev-russia

The news outlet Izvestiya, which is known for its close ties to the authorities, reported shortly after midnight on Tuesday that the team investigating Nemtsov’s killing “have focused on the explanation connected with the so-called Ukrainian trace.” Investigators suspect his murder was ordered by Ukrainian intelligence services or pro-Kiev fighter named Adam Osmayev, an unnamed source reportedly said. Osmayev, a native of Russia’s Chechnya republic who has recently re-appeared fighting on the side of the government in eastern Ukraine, was charged in 2012 with a foiled attempt to assassinate Putin.

Putin’s spokesman said shortly after the killing that it was “100% a provocation,” drawing criticism from some that the Kremlin could be sending signals about how it wants investigators to proceed.