[Update2] :
○ AFP: U.S. demands halt to Russian ‘provocation’ in Ukraine
○ KyivPost: Defense Ministry confirms pro-Russian separatists have captured six Ukrainian armored vehicles
○ RT: EU spy chief, Commodore Georgij Alafuzoff, rules out Russian military presence in Ukraine
○ White House: Interim president is justified to send Army to the East in anti-terror campaign
[Update1] : Brigade with 6 APCs Changes Sides In East Ukraine
Maria Danilova
@AP reporter sees 6 combat vehicles enter Slovyansk, fly Russian flags. 1 soldier says they are Ukr 25th airborne brigade, switch to pro-Russian.More info in my post below.
Creating division and causing unrest is a Neocon tool used by the Atlanticists in U.S. Congress and the White House. Creating the Cold War climate approved by the Obama administration. See yesterday’s UN Security Council meeting on the Ukraine. A shameful manifestation of Neocon rhetoric provided by Susan Rice and Samantha Power.
NATO Enlargement – Open Door Policy for Georgia and Ukraine – 2008
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹ has, like Albania and Croatia, been participating in the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for a number of years to prepare for possible membership. At Bucharest, Allied leaders agreed to invite the country to become a member as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the issue over the country’s name has been reached with Greece.
A number of other important decisions concerning enlargement were taken at Bucharest. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro were invited to start Intensified Dialogues on their membership aspirations and related reforms. Allied leaders also agreed that Georgia and Ukraine – which were already engaged in an Intensified Dialogue with NATO – will become members in future.
Ukraine President Yushchenko To Attend Bucharest NATO Summit
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will attend a NATO summit in Bucharest expected to discuss expansion of the alliance eastward, the Interfax news agency reported. Yushchenko, a supporter of Ukraine’s early membership in NATO, had delayed announcement on his plans to attend the April 2-4 meetings in Bucharest because of domestic opposition.
An acrimonious dispute over whether or not even to discuss NATO membership, pitting pro-Europe and pro-Russia political factions in Ukraine’s national legislature, has stalled the country’s parliament for more than a month.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel added fuel to the fire last week, speaking against Ukraine’s and Georgia’s joining NATO any time soon on grounds the countries lack widespread public support for the idea. Merkel’s remarks and Ukrainian domestic opposition notwithstanding, Yushchenko will during the Bucharest conference sign an agreement with NATO setting forth a precise step-by-step plan for Ukraine’s membership in the Atlantic Alliance.
At the April 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, Croatia and Albania were asked to join — they did so in 2009 — and postponed a decision concerning Georgia and Ukraine until December 2008. But in August, Georgian forces attacked the breakaway province of South Ossetia — possibly under the delusion that NATO would come to their aid — setting off a short and disastrous war with Russia. The vote on Georgia and Ukraine was shelved both by that war and a Gallup Poll indicating that 40 percent of Ukrainians considered NATO a threat, while only 17 percent had a favorable view of the alliance.
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○ Russia Today: Guardian US, Washington Post share Pulitzer Prize for coverage of NSA surveillance
My past diary – Why does Obama hate whistleblowers and investigative journalists?.
Opinions here @BooMan – Bloggers pro-Obama and anti-Greenwald – A Distraction on Issue.
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I would only caution that Obama himself makes very few decisions. In fact, no American president since JFK’s assassination has actually run the full executive branch. He may be the drum major of the parade but he doesn’t draw the parade route.
I say this only because I find demonizing Obama, or any other leader for that matter, often confuses issues. If Hillary were in office things would be no better. In fact, she got to run the State Department for four years.
US goals dealing with Russia go back to the end of WWI when Herbert Hoover lost the oilfields around Baku (I believe Hoover had the rights through Mobil). They involve gaining control over the petroleum there and removing the USSR/Russia from competition for world economic domination. Of course, things change and something will have to be done about ruining our climate, but there will always be enough beachfront property along the North Slope to accommodate the .1%.
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○ Ukraine: U.S. Takes Off-Ramp, Agrees To Russian Demands – March 16, 2014
○ Ukraine Tanks, Helicopters Mass Near Eastern Flashpoint
Every day I see an article like this and I stop in my tracks from the reminder that our globe needs attention not distraction.
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○ Ukraine crisis: Nato to bolster forces in eastern Europe
This marks a turning point. After all the media fearful spin and the desperation of CIA chief Brennan’s visit to Ukraine, it’s clear now that the coup government has very little gas in ‘their’ tank! Grasping at straws, the options for the putschers are diminishing greatly for effective actions that won’t generate significant blowback. Love this tweet….
@SenJohnMcCain Pls send US weapons to #Ukraine so that #Kiev soldiers can defect with them, like today.
Still too premature to gloat, but coming soon.
Bet On It!
The people of Eastern Ukraine don’t accept the puppet regime in Kiev and the coup d’etat ousting Democratically elected Janukovich.
○ RiaNovosti: Civil War Unlikely as Kiev Junta Loses Support
○ RT: Dozens of Ukrainian troops surrender APCs, withdraw from Slavyansk
○ Journalists face violence, intimidation and psychological warfare in conflict areas in Ukraine
In the Iraq War, journalists were targeted with sniperfire and bombed from fighter jets. Too many lost their lives, is the White House complaining now? What an hypocrisy.
LOL, and where does this ‘spot gas’ bought in Europe come from???
I’ve got my guess.
From the news section of NaftogazUkraine’s website. The top three ‘news’ items:
Sounds pretty solid to me….
At least the oligarchs are getting paid.
A real nice report from the ground by Luke Harding in the Guardian.
Kiev’s grip on eastern Ukraine weakens as pro-Russians seize army vehicles
About those APCs switching sides…..
My bold above.
Lots of good stuff from Nicholas J.S. Davies in America’s Coup Machine: Destroying Democracy Since 1953. Relevant here:
Dr. Strangelove 2.0?
How far we’ve gotten …
In 1964 LBJ used the fear factor with this famous campaign video to set Barry Goldwater apart as a dangerous lunatic. Would BG run for President in 2016, he would most likely win.
Indeed Dr. Srangelove 2.0!
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” The assertion, meant as a defense of conservatism, merged in the public consciousness with statements in which Goldwater advocated the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Vietnam and argued that Social Security be made voluntary.