NATO observers detained in Ukraine
The Associated Press reports that two NATO observers have been detained in the eastern Ukraine and declared spies by the pro-Russian government there;
Vyacheslav Ponomarev, self-proclaimed people’s mayor of Slovyansk, described the detained observers as “captives” and said that they were officers from NATO member states.
“As we found maps on them containing information about the location of our checkpoints, we get the impression that they are officers carrying out a certain spying mission,” Ponomarev said.
The German-led, eight-member team was traveling under the auspices of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe when they were detained. Germany’s Defense Ministry said it had had lost contact with the team, which it said also included five Ukrainians.
So, this is going well. Speaking of going well, The Washington Times reports that the Obama Administration is planning a new round of sanctions targeting the Russians for their actions in the Ukraine, you know, because the first two rounds of sanctions worked so well;
Tony Blinken, deputy national security adviser at the White House, said Sunday that the administration is placing a new round of sanctions on Russia.
“We have to be deliberate about it,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “There are lot of things going on around him, people who matter to him, who will be affected by these sanctions, but more than that it’s the Russian economy.”
Mr. Blinken also said he believes public sentiment among Russians will soon turn against the Ukraine, now that the nationalism that immediately followed the invasion has waned.
Category: Foreign Policy
Once again, our nearsighted, forgetful President and his high priced, low intelligence, Security Advisers and Diplomats have Putin rolling on the floor laughing. Like the news the other day that we will “hold Russia to the Tweets” comments had him immediately checking to see who was not Tweeting him any more and who dropped him as “Friends” on Facebook. This administration is out gunned. Not in military terms but in intelligence and savvy. Like it has been said before, Putin is playing chess and Obama keeps saying, “hey…I hit your back row, King me!”
It’s been said that Putin was once overheard off the Microphone comparing dealing with B. Hussein 0bama to playing Chess with a pigeon. He was alleged to have said “The pigeon knocks all of the pieces over, defecates on the board, and struts around like he’s won the game!”
A fitting comparison, eh?
Proud…You nailed it. I would absolutely believe said that and believes it. I do.
Let me tell you how clueless this administration is. They placed sanctions upon a Russian politician who heads up a company called NPO Energomash. They wanted to make things tough for him, since he’s a big supporter of Putin.
Well, the problem is that his company produces rocket engines. Primarily, the engines now used on US-Built Atlas & Delta rockets that the Air Force uses to lift National Security payloads into orbit.
Why Russian engines on US rockets? To “improve” relations between the US & Russian space programs, and to save money.
So now, Russia is threatening to halt deliveries of these engines, which could, in essence, shut down Air Force special payload launches. Specifically GPS and Intel orbiting platforms which our military depends on.
It’s bad enough that no one had the foresight to consider what would happen if the supplier shut off the flow of parts. It’s not like we don’t know about such things. When the Ayatollah seized power in Iran, the Iranians were in possession of some 70 F-14 fighters we had sold them as a bulwark against Soviet expansion. We promptly shut off the flow of parts and, in essence, shut down their F-14’s as they ran out of parts and hangar queens.
So now, the Clown Posse running the show in Washington looks absolutely clueless. While the Boy-King is standing on his soapbox admonishing Russia, Putin and his thugs pulled down his pants and our little prince never even noticed, not even through the howls of laughter from everyone watching.
If the GOP manages to take the Senate this fall, and hold onto the House, the first things they need to do is to replace the Speaker of the House and then start articles of impeachment against the President & Vice President.
Yeah, I know, never happen with e gutless wonders we have on the right of the aisle, but we can dream a little, can’t we?
Apparently it was a no bid contract and SpaceX filed a law suit over it.
Glad Obummer’s jerbs program was for Russia business.
Yeah, I’m with Space-X on this one. That whole no-bid contract should have been shot down right off the bat as there was no need for it.
Space-X’s boss is absolutely up front in his pushing the lawsuit saying that all he wants is the chance to compete. certainly his boosters have the capacity to lift those payloads.
All he wants is a fair competition. If they lose, then fine & dandy, but he’s absolutely right that they should be in the mix. It’s even more important that they be included in case the Russians DO shut off the engine pipeline.
This is another example, too, of why that whole “Peace Dividend” was such a fucked-up idea to begin with. Now we currently have no manned launch capability, so we have to PAY the frikkin’ Russians to launch our own folks into space.
If war does break out, or Putin decides to actually make Obama his bitch, then the Russians could take control of the International Space Station and there’s not a damned thing we could do about it.
More than anything else, our nation needs to return to being self-sufficient on all fronts, and give a big “FUCK YOU” to anyone who doesn’t want to be a good neighbor.
It is offical, the Cold War II is in effect. Hopefully it won’t get hot.
Pretty much.
This also seems to confirm things are moving in that direction:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-25/russian-doomsday-plane-spotted-flying-circles-finland-border?fb_action_ids=10203030579179441&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
I can this … It ain’t good.
Sources tell me … Worse than reported!
Having, like Jonn and many others here, served through the original Cold War, I’m in no hurry to start up it’s sequel.
To quote one of my favorite lines “This thing will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it.”
But, but , but, “Hope and Change”.
But, but, but, “Peace Prize”.
But, but, but, he’s “the one”.
The clueless narcissism of the American left has run up against the hard realities of global politics and those hard realities (completely unsurprisingly to anyone with half a clue) won.
Whether any of this has penetrated the lefty hive mind is another question.
“NATO observers detained in Ukraine”
In the best Church Lady voice; “Well, isn’t that special”!
Did they think they were going to be able to freely travel the area just because they’re NATO officers? Really? Either they’re really arrogant, or this was done on purpose to get us into this shit.
yeah, that’s pretty freakin’ covert, sending 3 foreign nationals and 5 Ukrainians out – with MAPS no less. Intel operation for sure, especially when all the checkpoints are marked (probably with “Pay Bribe Here!”)