Wednesday, August 13, 2014

War seems ever closer

The last post on this blog was June 6.  Tanya and I went to Canada and reading the depressing news from Ukraine did not seem a good way to spend one's holidays.  Tanya has returned home.  I am stuck in Canada until Sept 8th.  I lost/misplaced my Permanent Residency document so must stay out 90 days and return as a visitor when I can get a replacement.  I said to Tanya that I was so sorry I was so stupid.  She said she was sorry too.

The ATO (anti-terrorist operation) in eastern Ukraine continues and the Ukrainian military is slowly getting the best of it, recovering territory formerly held the the terrorists and slowly encircling Donetsk city.

The accidental shooting down of the Malaysian airliner by the pro-Russian terrorists on July 17 was a criminal act, the more so because the intended target MAY have been a Russian airliner filled with tourists.  It would have fallen on Ukrainian controlled territory and been blamed on the ATO, giving the Russian military the excuse they needed to invade, which they were apparently set to do July 18, to "keep the peace".

Killing your own people to score political and military points is not unknown. The FSB blew up Moscow apartment buildings to provide an excuse to start the second Chechen war that brought Putin to power. They were caught in the act of setting charges to blow up another. (There is some suggestion that other nations may also be guilty of allowing military or terrorist actions which proved advantageous in starting "desireable" wars.)

With his proxy warriors facing defeat, Putin must act.  Plan B seems to be humanitarian aid. They already tried to run a "humanitarian aid" convoy heavily guarded by Russian troops across the line by were stopped by some frantic diplomatic activity on the part of Proroshenko and others. No a convoy of white painted military trucks filled with "humanitarian aid" has left Moscow enroute to Ukraine.

Russia is telling its people that the convoy has the agreement of Ukraine and the Red Cross.  The Red Cross says they were never consulted and have no idea what is in the trucks.  Ukraine says the Russian trucks are welcome to offload their cargo on the Russian side of the border and reload it onto Red Cross trucks.

The Russian side does not have its story straight as the Emergency Measures people who are supposed to be in charge of the convoy disclaim all knowledge of it too.  If this ploy succeeds, Homer may well have material for two new epic poems.  For full details, see below:

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/controversial-russian-humanitarian-aid-convoy-stops-on-its-way-to-ukraine-360505.html

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/08/12/russia_ukraine_humanitarian_aid_convoy_putin_trojan_horse_red_cross

11 comments:

  1. Know you must miss Tanya and be anxious to get back to her. I think of you all as I follow Ukrain news - wondering how much of it is factual here in the US.
    the Ol'Buzzard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I sure do want to go home. Facts are hard come by but the Russian propaganda machine is in overdrive. Their news about anything to do with Ukraine is all lies.

      Delete
  2. "Humanitarian aid" to an insurgent force is otherwise known as "logistic support."

    Still, at at least support and sympathy for the Russian-backed insurgents is at an all-time low.

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  3. I've been reading the Ukraine news and wondering how you were faring during your long blog silence. I'm glad you're all right so far.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm glad that you've returned. It certainly seems as if Russia plans to invade, but is just waiting for a pretext. I hadn't heard about the Russian airliner scheme, but I wouldn't doubt it for a moment. Remember the Lusitania. If it had gotten through, arms would have gotten to the British, but by putting it at risk of being sunk, America's president got what he wanted, which was an excuse to join the war.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Add the battleship Maine in Havana Habour, and if you are a conspiracy theorist (actually everything is a conspiracy theory, it is just which one you believe...or don't) add Pearl Harbour and 9/11.

      Delete
  5. As everyone has said I am glad you are okay. Let's hope all this gets resolved without any more senseless violence. Such a waste.

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    Replies
    1. I wish, Jono, I wish but both sides have too much invested to give in easily and the demands of the Russian side are not its business to demand.

      Delete
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