Don’t Think Russia will Cower behind the Broom

Even in the face of its impudent crimes of late, Vladimir Putin and Russia will not cower behind the broom and submissively take his medicine. Putin, who for years has been overseeing a fast paced militarization of Russia, is already planning how to stand up to the United States and NATO for disseminating lies against him and Russia.

At a meeting with the Russian Security Council on Monday, July 22, Putin made the following statements:

“We shall provide an adequate and well-measured response to NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders, and we shall take note of [the West] setting up a global missile defense architecture and building up its arsenals of precision-guided weapons.”

“No matter what our Western counterparts tell us, we can see what’s going on. As it stands, NATO is blatantly building up its forces in Eastern Europe, including the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea areas. Its operational and combat training activities are gaining in scale.”

“With that in mind, we need to promptly and diligently implement all the measures we have planned to strengthen our nation’s defense capabilities, including our plans for Crimea and Sevastopol, where we will practically have to set up our military architecture from scratch.”

“The very concept of the state sovereignty is becoming diluted. Unwanted regimes and countries that are trying to exercise independent policy or simply stand in the way of someone’s interests are getting destabilized.”

“Attempts aimed at destabilizing the social and political situation, throwing off Russia and striking at its vulnerable and soft spots have been and will be made.”

“The so-called competitive struggle at the international arena will imply the use of tools in both economic and political fields. This will include the potential of security services, modern information and communication technologies, and connections of dependent, puppet NGOs – the so-called soft power. Apparently, some countries regard it as democracy.”

“On our part, we follow all the norms of international law and fulfill our obligations to our partners. We expect other countries and organizations, military and political alliances – Russia is not a part of any alliance, and that underpins our sovereignty – to take our national interests into consideration.”

According to Reuters and Russian news media, Putin, reading from notes at the head of a long table with officials seated on each side, spoke much more forcefully than during brief televised remarks on the plane's downing first released in the early hours of Monday, when he had seemed less assured than usual.
Putin reiterated his belief that protests that toppled Ukraine's former Russian-backed leader were instigated and funded from abroad. Despite Western sanctions, he said Moscow would stand by separatists in eastern Ukraine whom, he denounced as part of a popular rising against an illegal coup.
“Russia is being presented with what is almost an ultimatum: “Let us destroy this part of the population that is ethnically and historically close to Russia and we will not impose sanctions against you.’ This is a strange and unacceptable logic.”
The sound that we will be hearing for many years is the sound of Russian factories from Vladivostok to Petersburg churning out new weapons. Hopefully, the White House has formally renounced its dangerous reset policy in relations with Russia and will not show that it is unequal to the task of being the leader and defender of the free world.

War with Ukraine, MH17 Place Russia in New Light

·                     This morning Russia shot down two Ukrainian SU-25 fighter jets in the region of the destruction of MH17, signaling its intention to escalate hostilities against Ukraine. Reportedly, the pilots ejected. Ironically, at the same time The Daily Beast reported that Ukraine had quietly asked the US and NATO for sensitive technology that could jam the radar that the Russians are using to lock their missiles on Ukrainian jets. Apparently, the US and NATO did not agree with the request thereby perpetuating the likelihood of more Ukrainian aircraft and pilot losses. It should be pointed out that the guided missile BUK system used by Russia – the one that is driven into and out of Ukraine – requires more intelligence to manipulate than the Neanderthal Russian terrorists seem to possess. Additionally, the conversations between the mercenaries on the ground and their controllers in Moscow revealed a level of linguistic skills and enunciation that is in character with an educated senior Russian officer rather than Moscow’s cutthroats in Ukraine.

·                     Annexation of Crimea, followed by a seventh-month-long war with Ukraine and the destruction of Malaysian MH17, killing 298 people, has placed Russia in a new light.

It is safe to say that most sober officials, analysts and pundits are fairly well acquainted with Russia’s bloody and despotic legacy but are hesitant to relate that knowledge to current affairs.

However, the tumultuous events in Ukraine since late last year have brought Russia’s highhandedness in its former captive nation to the forefront, making observers scratch their heads and wonder whether they should have heeded the warnings about the Kremlin. Were the right-wing conservatives and Eastern European Americans more on target about Russia than kneejerk liberals have been?

Opinions about how to respond to Russia range from tougher sanctions to a war crimes trial against the Kremlin.

The Red Cross contributed to the war crimes talk by making a confidential legal assessment that Ukraine is officially in a war, opening the door to possible war crimes prosecutions, including over the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH-17. “Clearly it’s an international conflict and therefore this is most probably a war crime,” a Western diplomat in Geneva was quoted as telling Reuters.

Since the International Committee on the Red Cross is in the UN system, it can make that determination because it is considered the guardians of international humanitarian law.

Dutch prosecutors are pursuing this angle by opening an investigation into the crash of MH17 on suspicion of murder, war crimes and intentionally downing an airliner. Based on the Law on International Crimes, the Netherlands can prosecute any individual who committed a war crime against a Dutch citizen.

Forcing Russia to stand trial for this war crime would at least symbolically bring it to justice to its legacy of brutality.

·                     In the wake of the destruction of MH17, The US and European Union have intensified their threats of imposing additional sanctions against Russia. Without a doubt, these sanctions must be painful, crippling and punitive – not figurative.

The usually reserved Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in a statement last weekend, had harsh words for  Putin as investigations seemed to be stymied. “I want to see results in the form of unhindered access and a speedy recovery of the victims’ remains. This is now priority No. 1. Putin must take responsibility vis-à-vis the rebels and show the Netherlands and the world that he is doing what is expected of him," he said.

Rutte's anger comes as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and French President François Hollande agreed that “the EU must reconsider its approach to Russia and that foreign ministers should be ready to impose further sanctions on Russia when they meet on Tuesday.”

Unfortunately, the European leaders spoke better than their sanctions did.

The EU agreed Tuesday to expand a list of Russian entities and individuals subject to asset freezes and travel bans and threatened to target vast sectors of the Russian economy if Moscow does not act swiftly to rein its terrorists.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels stopped well short of immediately carrying out vows in some countries to jump quickly to “phase three sanctions” that could cripple the Russian economy. Rather, they agreed to prepare by Thursday a list of possible options, including a potential arms embargo, limits on dual-technology sales and, more important, measures targeting the energy and financial sectors. They said such measures could be imposed later only if Russia does not force pro-Moscow separatists to grant unfettered access to the crash site and fulfill its pledge to cooperate with an international investigation.

The “if” is troublesome because it lets Russia off the hook and gives it another chance to commit another crime.

Another strong condemnation came from Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada. “Canada remains committed to doing its part to apply that pressure in response to Russia's provocative actions,” Harper wrote.

“We call on President Putin to immediately order a withdrawal of his troops from the Ukrainian border, to stop the flow of weapons and militants into Ukraine, and to use Russia’s influence to persuade insurgents to lay down their weapons and renounce violence. It is also imperative that investigators be given full, unimpeded access to the crash site of the downed Malaysian airliner.”

·                     At the White House on Monday, President Obama emphasized the need for accountability in an investigation of the shooting down of MH17. But he naively said Russia must urge the rebels to cooperate.

Citing mounting evidence, Kyiv and Washington have built a strong case that a Russian-made missile fired by pro-Moscow terrorists in Ukraine brought down the Boeing 777 airliner.

In a letter to the President, from Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein (CA), Carl Levin (MI) and Robert Menendez (NJ), who respectively chair the committees on intelligence, armed services and foreign relations, the lawmakers urged consideration of broader sanctions on the Russian economy, including the energy and financial sectors, and designation of the separatists’ self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine as a foreign terrorist organization.

“We understand and strongly support your efforts to coordinate the imposition of sanctions with our key European allies,” the senators wrote. “However, the United States must not limit its own national security strategy when swift action will help fulfill our strategic objectives, support an independent Ukraine and counter malignant Russian interference.”

·                     In its editorial on this topic, The Washington Post quaintly went back to the future. It urged the West to devise a strategy to contain the world’s newest rogue state — Russia. Yes, the West does need a new strategy. The first one was a strategic foreign policy pursued by the United States in the late 1940s and the early 1950s in order to check the expansionist policy of the Soviet Union. In an anonymous article in the July 1947 issue of Foreign Affairs, George F. Kennan, diplomat and US State Department adviser on Soviet affairs, suggested a “long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies” in the hope that the regime would mellow or collapse.

Containment failed for the same reason the League of Nations did: lack of will power and interest. The new policy must have dedication and teeth to stop Russia at the slightest transgression.

Ban Putin from Global Affairs

The impassioned call for banning Vladimir Putin of Russia from all international events is spreading around the world like wildfire.

Russian terrorists’ coldblooded destruction of a Malaysian civilian airliner over Ukraine, killing some 300 people, including 80 children, has triggered humanity’s unchained denunciation of the Russia leader.

Peoples represented by the nationalities murdered by Putin’s mercenaries and others are unable to contain their shock, grief, outrage and disgust for what happened.

Newspapers around the world screamed with banner headlines:

Putin Murderer

Putin’s Missile

Putin’s War

Putin Killer

Putin, You Killed my Son

Putin, You Killed my Friends

This Baby’s Death is on Your Conscience, Putin - Damn You for Centuries

Slaughter at 33,000 feet
And so forth …

Indeed this mass murder has shaken humanity to the core. Common people and pundits have been caught by surprise by this Russian destruction of human life. Some even asked that 20 years ago, when Putin was rising in fame, prestige and power, could the world have thought that he could annex Crimea, wantonly invade southeastern Ukraine and now shoot down a civilian jetliner?

The simple answer is yes. That was bound to happen because no Russian leader is able to abandon Russian manifest destiny of dominating not only its so-called near abroad but the world.

This latest Russian crime brings to mind Moscow’s earlier destruction of KAL 007 in 1983 and President Reagan’s condemnation of it: “This was the Soviet Union against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere. It was an act of barbarism, born of a society which wantonly disregards individual rights and the value of human life and seeks constantly to expand and dominate other nations.”

History has repeated itself thanks to Moscow.

Photographs seen in newspapers on social media are unbearable to observe. Bodies of adults and children strewn on Ukrainian sunflower and produce fields. One photo shows a child still strapped to its seat. Then there is a photograph of a Russian terrorist, one of many with Neanderthal faces, holding above his head a child’s stuffed toy.

The wreckage scene has not been secured and terrorists have contaminated the area and bodies, making any forensic investigation impossible. It was reported that some 50 bags of body parts have been removed from the crime scene and it was surmised that the Russian terrorists are planning to hold the bodies as hostages to exchange for their imprisoned comrades.

But this cold-hearted murder was not enough for Putin’s hoodlums. A day later, in Luhansk they shot up a city bus killing 20 commuters. Photos showed bodies on the city streets.

President Obama, like other leaders, joined the condemnation but many in Congress criticized his response as being absurdly weak.

“Yesterday, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam and was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border.  Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken – men, women, children, infants – who had nothing to do with the crisis in Ukraine.  Their deaths are an outrage of unspeakable proportions.

“Evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched from an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine,” President Obama said.

He noted that this was “a global tragedy – an Asian airliner was destroyed in European skies, filled with citizens from many countries.” He called for a credible, international investigation into exactly what happened.

“The U.N. Security Council has endorsed this investigation,” Obama said, “and we will hold all its members – including Russia – to their word.” He made clear that Russia, pro-Russian separatists, and Ukraine need to “adhere to an immediate cease-fire” in order to facilitate the investigation (though I wouldn’t include Ukraine in the same sentence as Russia and pro-Russian separatists).

“Evidence must not be tampered with,” he said. “Investigators need to access the crash site. And the solemn task of returning those who were lost on board the plane to their loved ones needs to go forward immediately.”

Calling for investigation and truce is an understated demand of the Russian perpetrators of this heinous crime while the world mourns.

The harshest condemnation came from Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott, who will host the upcoming G20 summit of the richest countries on earth. Many are already calling for Putin to be banned from entering the country and the government seems to be inclined to righteously and bravely go down that route.
“Australia takes a very dim view of countries which facilitate the killing of Australians, as you’d expect,” Abbott said, adding that he had spoken to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko but not Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “The idea that Russia can wash its hands of responsibility because this happened in Ukrainian airspace just does not stand serious scrutiny.”

Abbott then hinted that Putin’s attendance at the November conclave would hinge on Russia’s unequivocal support for an investigation, saying Australia would wait and see what next unfolded.

“Australia is a self-respecting country,” he said. “Visitors to this country are people who have done the right thing by this country.”

Abbott also stated: “The idea that Russia can wash its hands of responsibility because this happened in Ukrainian airspace just does not stand serious scrutiny. This is not something that can just be dismissed as a tragic accident when you have Russian proxies using Russian-supplied equipment.”

This tragedy has another set of victims – the people of Russia who are being dragged through the cesspools of history and the future by their inglorious leader Putin. Their culture, literature, legacy has been besmirched by this maniacal murder for all times, much like Hitler did to the Germany nation. They cannot be passive and submissive any longer.

The sooner they arise and free themselves of this killer, the better Russia and the world will be.

In the meantime, the world cannot allow this crime against humanity to fade from the pages of history. It must be remembered in tandem with the Holodomor and Holocaust.

World leaders must take up Tony Abbott’s view and isolate Putin from all global events, turning him into the criminal outcast that he is. Writer to your elected officials urging them to take a strong stand against this No.1 global terrorist. Spread the message across the world.