CRIMEAN
WAR REVISITED
(FRAZER
CHRONICLE)
(All
the News That Nobody Else Will Print)
I’ll
be earning my Rubles on this one friends, Crimea is now officially a part of Russia, if
you don’t believe me, check out your local newspaper, it’ll be plastered under bold headlines of
sanctions placed on Mother Russia by the U.S. and a bunch of other countries
throughout Europe. Possibly the harshest set of penalties was laid down by who
else, the United States, however the jury is still out on that issue.
Sanction, now
there is a word with several meanings, and some are actually good, like an
action recognizing a social custom, encouragement, or approval for a course of
action. Of course there’s the dark side of the word, sanction, like punishment imposed, or a punitive measure
to conform to international law. In short…..and an answer to the meaning of sanction…..a time-out for screwing
up, according to other nations.
It’s
what is happening even as I write this blog…..to Russia, by many nations
throughout the world who have aligned themselves in an effort to blunt what is
perceived as a take-over of the peninsula of Crimea. Even though there was a
referendum vote on the question of Crimea simply joining Russia, hostilities
and possible military action by the worlds
global metropolitan policing forces.
There
is an emerging trend by some nations, other
than the U.S. that what the world needs is an all inclusive policing force
to ensure that the world and it’s member nations follow some specific rules
with regards to their political operations, and how they deal with their
citizens.
We
now seem to be facing a dilemma with Russia, Ukraine and Crimea, and exactly
where they will end up with regards to the make-up of the Ukraine. I am of the
opinion that after the dust has cleared, and all of the bully boys are finished
with pumping up their collective chests…..cooler heads with seek and accept a
political solution to the perceived problems.
However,
until these cooler, talking heads come
forward, much of the world is going to have to show extreme good judgment in
what is said, and what is done during these important days of this, the world’s
latest crisis and conflict.
We
are a rather foolish people, seemingly unable to learn from our mistakes, and
the extremely poor options that we adopt to deal with world crisis. It seems
that (thus far) the world has chosen to slap a few meaningless sanctions on
Russia in an effort to break Russia’s resolve. Like much of the United States,
the Russian people view sanctions on some of Russian’s fortunate’s more a bothersome
joke, than a threat to the average Russian.
I
CAN’T SAY THESE NAMES…..MUCH LESS SPELL THEM
What
is a Sergey Valkeryevich Aksyonov, or Sergey Glazyev, or how about an Andrei
Klishas (no idea,) don’t feel
alone, I have to look um up. Come to find out their people, kind of quasi important
people, but none the less, people. Not only are they people, they have other
things in common, they all made the cut
with regards to the United State’s sanctions list.
Sergey Aksyonov is a
42 year old who, during the armed occupation of the Crimean parliament by
pro-Russian forces, Aksyonov was subsequently
voted into office following a vote of no confidence in the Ukrainian
government. He is wanted by the Ukrainian Security Service for violation of
Part 1 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (actions aimed at the violent
overthrow of government).
Sergey (no
relation to the first Sergey) Glazyev, 51
year old Russian politician and economist, was added to both the Canadian and
U.S. sanction list on March 17, 2014 for saying the Ukraine preferred joining
the European Union rather than the Customs Union.
And
finally a chrome domed 56 year old Andrei
Klishas was added to the sanctions list for…..are you ready for this, his
status as a member of the council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the
Russian Federation, and as Chairman of the Federation Council Committee of
Constitutional Law, Judicial and Legal Affairs, and the Development of Civil
Society.
There
are at least 29 names on the list of sanctioned individuals that have been
announced by the United States, its allies, and the European Union. I’m not
sure what sanctioning individual people will do for the cause of the Ukraine, or
Crimea, although sanctions are a hell-of-a lot better than lobbing a few bombs
around.
I’m
not sure that I can remember one nation laying sanctions on another nation when
it involved just individuals. I suppose it doesn’t matter, embargos, sanctions,
or pissy-hiss letters, they all mean the same; somebody doesn’t like what
somebody else is doing.
SOME
FOREIGN POLICY ACTUALL GETS DONE LIKE THIS
In
an open letter that was signed by 52 luminaries, some in their minds only,
to President Obama, and received by the president on March 21, imploring action
in response to Russia’s aggression in the Ukraine. Talk about pressure being
brought to bear…..no wonder I’m not interested in the job;
Dear
Mr. President:
As
Russia moves ahead with its illegal annexation of Crimea, we share your
determination to “isolate Russia for its action to reassure our allies and partners.”
America’s next step should be designed to strengthen Ukraine’s sovereignty and
democratic transition, to impose real costs on the government of President
Vladimir Putin, and enhance the deterrence posture of NATO.
Russia’s
invasion of Crimea threatens the democracy that the Ukrainian people have
sacrificed so much to achieve. A critical test of Ukraine’s newfound freedom
will be its presidential elections on May 25, which Russia may seek to disrupt.
As you have noted, Russia must recognize “the rights of all Ukrainians to
determine their future as free individuals, and as a sovereign nation.” In
order to help Ukraine secure its democratic transition, the United States
should:
Provide Ukraine’s
transitional government with technical expertise, international monitors, and
assistance for the May presidential election. The United States should also
enhance support for civil institutions that are necessary to consolidate
Ukraine’s democratic gains.
Approve loan guarantees to
help stabilize the Ukrainian economy, while working with the European Union,
the International Monetary Fund, and other partners to provide long-term
support for economic reforms in the
Ukraine.
Conduct an assessment of
Ukraine’s self-defense needs and expand the scope and scale of U.S. military
assistance available to the government of Ukraine, including intelligence
sharing, training, and other support for Ukrainian forces, in coordination with
NATO and the European Union.
Washington
and its international partners should also impose real costs on Vladimir Putin
and his key supporters. In this effort, we must distinguish between the corrupt
regime surrounding Putin, and the Russian people who are the victims of this
misrule. In this regard, it is essential to fully utilize the Sergei Magnitisky Rule of Law Accountability
Act of 2012 and other legal authorities to sanction gross human rights violators
in Russia. The United States should:
Increase the number of Russian
officials who are subject to sanctions, including President Putin and those
closest to him, both for their role in the invasion of Ukraine and the gross
violations of human rights described under the Magnitisky Act.
Expand the scope of
sanctions in order to isolate Russian financial institutions and businesses
that are either complicit in Russia’s invasion in Ukraine or support the regime
of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The designation of bank Rossiya is an
important first step in this effort.
Expose the extend of
political and economic corruption among the senior leadership of the Russian
Federation, including an unclassified report on the assets of President Putin
and other senior Russian officials.
Suspend all civil nuclear cooperation
pursuant to the “123” Agreement that was entered into force between the United
States and the Russian Federation in December 2010.
Russia’s
intervention in Ukraine poses a threat to all its neighbors, including NATO
allies among the Baltic States and Poland. We believe that the United States
and its NATO partners must reexamine commitments under the 1997 NATO-Russia
Founding Act to refrain from deploying additional forces into former Warsaw
Pact countries, as Russia’s recent actions demonstrate that the “current and
foreseeable security environment” described in the Act has changed. In regard,
the United States should:
Conduct an assessment on how
to strengthen NATO’s deterrence posture vis-à-vis Russia, including the
deployment of additional ground forces, missile defenses, or other assets to
former Warsaw Pact members of NATO. Your deployment of U.S. fighter aircraft to
Poland and the Baltic States is an important first step in this regard.
Press America’s NATO allies
to agree to a Membership Action Plan for Georgia at the NATO Summit scheduled
for September 2014, while expanding U.S. military rotations to Georgia. The
United States should also support Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, and other European
security partners, if they seek NATO membership.
Work to reduce European
dependence on Russian natural gas, including by expanding liquefied natural gas
exports from the United States, as well as supporting new pipelines into the Continent
and other proposals to diversify Europe’s energy supplies, such as developing
indigenous natural gas reserves.
We
believe that these responsible steps will be essential to secure Ukraine’s
future, to deter the Putin government from further acts of aggression, and to strengthen
the NATO alliance and other security partnerships. We thank you for your consideration,
and look forward to supporting you in taking these measures.
Sincerely,
There
are 52 signatures of the people who support the above actions by the Obama
administration, and more importantly…..the American people. Some of the signatory
I’ve heard of, like Paul Bremer, John R. Bolton, Doug Feith, General Michael
Hayden, Dr. Frederick W. Kagan, William Kristol, Joe Lieberman, Mary Beth Long,
Governor Tim Pawlenty, Kurt Volker, and Dr, Kenneth R. Weinstein.
IT’S
BLATANT, NO NEED TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES
No
need to read between the lines here, what this letter suggest is tearing down
some safeguards that have been in place for decades, evoke no rules, and
obliterate others. The letter also does away with much of Russian power
throughout the world, reestablishing the U.S. at least in Europe, as the policemen
on the block.
And
get that XL pipeline through the middle of the country, down to the Gulf of
Mexico, making oil people happen as hell. Gee there’s something for almost
everybody in the letter, the industrial military complex will be happy, the
Pentagon will be happy, and those people who want to push the United States
agenda…..well it’ll be a red letter day for them also.
It
President Obama caves into these suggestions…..we are in for trouble with a big
fat capital T and
sadly if a Republican is elected into the White House in 2016…..we’ll be in
trouble for a whole new set of reasons, probably Russia, and the brand new cold
war leading the way.
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