Early in the Ukraine crisis, when the Europeans were working on bringing Ukraine into the EU system and Vladimir Putin ...Second and fourth President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead... was countering with threats and bribes, one British analyst lamented that "we went to a knife fight with a baguette."
That was three months ago. Life overtakes parody. During the Ukrainian prime minister's visit to Washington last week, his government urgently requested military assistance. The Pentagon refused. It offered instead military ration kits.
Putin mobilizes thousands of troops, artillery, and attack helicopters on Ukraine's borders and Washington counters with baguettes, American-style. One thing we can say for sure in these uncertain times: The invasion of Ukraine will be catered by the United States.
Why did we deny Ukraine weapons? Because in the Barack Obama Republicans can come along for the ride, but they've got to sit in the back... --John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... worldview, arming the victim might be taken as a provocation. This kind of mind-bending illogic has marked the administration's response to the whole Crimea affair.
Why, after all, did Obama delay responding to Putin's infiltration, military occupation, and seizure of Crimea in the first place? In order to provide Putin with a path to deescalation, "an off-ramp," the preferred White House phrase.
An off-ramp? Did they actually think that Putin was losing, that his invasion of Crimea was a disaster from which he needed some face-saving way out? It's delusional enough to think that Putin -- in seizing Crimea, threatening eastern Ukraine, destabilizing Kiev, shaking NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants... , terrifying America's Eastern European allies, and making the West look utterly helpless -- was actually losing. But to imagine that Putin saw it that way as well and was waiting for American diplomacy to save him from a monumental blunder is totally divorced from reality.riousness, Mr. President.
#2
That's up to the Donks. If the rumbling are to be believed, it's either them or him under the bus. There's enough material out there to make it happen. No need to make something up. However, I suspect their continuous chorus of 'racism' now locks them tight between the drive shaft and exhaust.
#3
Apparently the EU's then-Baguette is still in vogue, wid Vichy goodness.
D *** NG IT, IS THERE NO EURO LOVE FOR PAN DE LECHE!
NO matter what "red line" the Bammer + Jaawhn "Presidential" Kerry put up, EX-KGB KOLONEL PUTIN = RUSSIA IS A'CROSSIN IT. The danger for Obama + Kerry is that iff the US-NATO/EU continue to criticize Putin excessively, Putin may become angered enough to send more Russian troops into the Ukraine + nearby peripherals.
[Ynet] Analysis: As part of what the IDF calls 'war between wars', Israel and terrorist groups and their state sponsors must play a very dangerous game, according to a new set of rules, while trying to create deterrence that doesn't lead to an all-out regional conflict.
The IAF attack on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights is a clear escalation of Israeli defense activity in the north. For three years, Israel has actively avoided operating or even commenting publicly on IAF activity in Syria and Leb.
Its recent candidness stems from the fact that IDF soldiers were maimed, something which the IDF sees as warranting a severe and deterring response.
Nonetheless, what played out in the north on Tuesday does not indicate an overall escalation, nor does it necessarily bode of ills to come. It is just another round in what the IDF calls war between wars.
Such a situation, it seems, has rules of its own, according to which each side plays its part and tries to gain the advantage. The major problem is that any miscalculation by either side could send the situation spinning out of control.
Israel strives to neutralize any bid by Hezbollah, the Paleostinians or jihadists to arm themselves or gain a military advantage, as well prevent any impact on daily life in Israel or harm to IDF soldiers.
Terrorist groups are waging war between wars as part of their ideological and armed struggle against Israel, but also as part of an attempt to prevent the IDF from targeting their operatives, be they nearby or far from Israeli territory.
The Syrians and Iranians are helping Hezbollah and the Paleostinians in their attempts both to become stronger and to deter the IDF. It is safe to assume, therefore, the onslaught of more than 60 rockets fired last week by Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... in Gazoo into Israel had at least some Iranian encouragement, if not an outright order.
The common goal for both sides in war between wars is to prevent things from getting too out of hand and spiraling into full-scale conflict. Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, and even the small Paleostinian factions in Gazoo -- much like Israel itself -- have a clear interest in preventing a prolonged and costly conflict that will end without a significant shift in the situation, barring a few dozen dead on both sides and an economic and humanitarian price for all those involved.
Plausible deniability
With this in mind, the first law of war between wars is to act in secrecy, in what is known as "plausible deniability". In such a situation, the side that finds itself on the receiving end of the attack does not have to respond, as it ostensibly has no address for such a response.
For Israel, deploying "plausible deniability" is dictated by whether blood is spilt, and the damage to everyday life in Israel. Attacks that exact a price on civilians are viewed with the utmost severity.
For Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas, their reaction is dictated by the level of responsibility Israel is willing to claim publicly, or the amount of support generously offered by the Pentagon for said attack. Another factor for them is location - whether Israel acted on Lebanese or Gazook territory.
An attack attributed to Israel that also harms territorial integrity mandates a response either from terrorist groups and Syria. The Iranians, as usual, respond through proxies, but also do so when Israel identifies itself as the attacker.
It is possible to identify several more rules for this type of war; for example, Iran and Hezbollah attacks on foreign soil in order to exact Dire Revenge™ on Israel and achieve some level of deterrence.
Through war between wars, Israel is trying to minimize its losses in the next round of fighting proper, and also use deterrence as a delay tactic in preventing such a direct conflict from erupting.
Hezbollah and the Paleostinian organizations are avenging Israel's targeted attacks by causing as much pain, and for as long as possible, on Israeli citizens; they too are trying to achieve deterrence through their responses.
Ultimately, it is important to understand that Tuesday's air strike by the IAF was based on another rule of war between wars: When those responsible do not announce themselves, the sovereign power in the area attacked -- in this case Syria -- is the one to pay the price.
#4
Lots of Anti-Fracking jingles out there, in the wild woolly net, but here is a Pro Fracking jingle, brought to you by the Perot Institute (and you thought he was dead)
[Ynet] Analysis: Behind the scenes of the power struggle over the Paleostinian Authority: Accusations, interviews and egg-throwing.
The violent conflict between Paleostinian Authority President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... and former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan has reached a new level: The two have been exchanging accusations about corruption, cooperation with Israel and involvement in Arafat's death. But what happens behind the scenes of the power struggle over the Paleostinian Authority?
One would think that these days the Paleostinians would be occupied with Abbas' visit to Washington and the upcoming fourth stage of prisoners release, but the only thing that concerns them these days is the never-ending power-struggle between the PA president and his arch rival Dahlan.
From the highest ranks of government to social media discussions and talk on the street, the main topic is the long and publicized feud between the two that has all the right ingredients to become a successful telenovela -- burning hate, violence, weapons, and a fierce competition to win the hearts of the people.
Dahlan was a senior Fatah member carrying senior positions in the Paleostinian government and security forces until he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Abbas and set up an armed militia. He was ostentatiously expelled from the movement in 2011.
After being impeached, Dahlan was exiled to Dubai and Abbas ordered the closure of news websites that were identified with him. On his end, Dahlan repeatedly accused Abbas of financial corruption, the Fatah defeat in the election to the parliament and the fall of the Gazoo Strip to Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, control.
Last week, as tensions were rising between Israel and Hamas, the two opened a new round of blows as the official Paleostinian television aired a recorded speech by Abbas directed to Fatah Revolutionary Council, where he disparaged Dahlan to the point of essentially sanctioning his killing.
Abbas also said in his speech that Dahlan knew in advance about the Israeli liquidation attempt on Salah Shehade, leader of the Hamas military wing who was killed in 2002 by IDF assassination. In addition, Abbas accused Dahlan of cooperating with Israel and insinuated he is linked to Yasser Arafat's death.
Dahlan responded quickly and gave a three hour interview to a private Egyptian private television channel Dream TV 2, where he again accused Abbas and his sons of financial corruption and of harming the Paleostinian interest by running weak negotiations with Israel. The interview took place less than a day before Abbas' meeting with US President Barack Obama I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... in Washington.
The interview created an uproar that would just not die; the next day thousand of Paleostinians went out to the streets in support of Abbas, burning pictures of Dahlan in front of the cameras. A few hours later, in the middle of the night, shots were fired at Jibril Rajoub's home, Dahlan's sworn enemy.
Paleostinian security forces arrived at the scene and opened an investigation, but at the same time tried to silence the case. Though the connection between the shooting to the Abbas-Dahlan feud is slim, its timing suggests considering a link.
Senior Fatah members supporting Abbas harshly criticized the Egyptian channel and Dahlan's interviewer Wael Al Abrashi for allowing Dahlan to lay out his accusations for hours uninterrupted, without being askedtough questions and without seeking a response from the Paleostinian Authority. The Channel refused to comment on the Paleostinian Authority's demand for a response.
The Paleostinian Journalists Association even ordered a ban on Dream TV 2 and Wael Al Abrashi for the channel's refusal to apologize for insulting the Paleostinian people.
The implications of the interview were so severe that on Wednesday the Egyptian ambassador in the Paleostinian Authority issued a clarification according to which Dahlan's statements in the interview don't reflect the views of the Egyptian government and people.
On Wednesday, Fatah front man Ahmed Assaf was sent to Cairo to be interviewed by a number of Egyptian media outlets in an attempt to refute Dahlan's accusations. But the visit didn't go quietly as supporters of Dahlan violently attacked Assaf and threw eggs at him when he arrived to the official Egyptian news agency offices.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Second and fourth President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
The violent conflict between Paleostinian Authority President 
Last week, as tensions were rising between Israel and Hamas, the two opened a new round of blows as the official Paleostinian television aired a recorded speech by Abbas directed to Fatah Revolutionary Council, where he disparaged Dahlan to the point of essentially sanctioning his killing.
