Article

2023-09-12 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Putin's bid for North Korean weapons, Cuban fighters show signs of desperation

[The Hill] Attempting to negotiate arms deals with Kim Jong Un and trafficking Cuban soldiers are just the latest signs of Russia’s growing desperation as it struggles to maintain its fighting force in Ukraine.

As Ukraine’s counteroffensive enters it fourth month, Russian forces are strained under heavy casualties, lack of equipment, limited training and low morale, forcing Moscow to look outside its borders for any help it can gain, U.S. officials, lawmakers and experts say.

With a new meeting between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin soon expected, such a visit is indicative of the Russian leader’s "international pariah status" leading to "trouble sustaining the military effort," according to State Department spokesperson Matt Miller.

"Not only has he failed to achieve his goals on the battlefield, but you see him traveling across his own country, hat in hand, to beg Kim Jong Un for military assistance," Miller told reporters of Putin on Monday.

And Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) earlier Monday on MSNBC said Putin is "desperate for more equipment, he’s desperate for more support," forcing him to "make a devil’s deal."

Posted by Besoeker 2023-09-12 07:33|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 "Desperation" or a...'Coalition of the Willing.'

In November 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush, visiting Europe for a NATO summit, declared that "should Iraqi President Saddam Hussein choose not to disarm, the United States will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm him."

Posted by Besoeker 2023-09-12 07:43|| 2023-09-12 07:43|| Front Page Top

#2 Disarm Saddam of what, things "Made by DuPont"?

Posted by DooDahMan 2023-09-12 07:46|| 2023-09-12 07:46|| Front Page Top

It simply all just got out of hand:

According to the file, senior British officials had received American intelligence suggesting that mustard gas was being manufactured at a pesticide plant north of Baghdad using British-supplied equipment.

It was further disclosed that the Indian contractor which had built the factory at Samarra had acquired pumps from a UK manufacturer, Weir Pumps, without revealing their true purpose to the company.

Read: Officer under Saddam Hussein drew up Islamic State master plan: report

Moreover, after the Iran-Iraq war, it was revealed that not only Britain but many other western countries were used by Iraq to supply equipment as well as raw materials for the manufacture of chemical weapons, which killed some 100,000 Iranians with Iraqi chemical and nerve agents by the end of the war in 1988.

In addition, it was disclosed that the sales were made often with the knowledge of intelligence services of those countries.

Subsequently, the Iraqi dictator succeeded in dramatically increasing his chemical weapons production capacity - a development which became one of the principal justifications for the Allied invasion of Iraq in 2003.

* UNSCOM inspection team photo at the graphic.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-09-12 08:01|| 2023-09-12 08:01|| Front Page Top

#4 Lots of companies loved them those sweet "dual-use" sales...

Posted by M. Murcek 2023-09-12 08:09|| 2023-09-12 08:09|| Front Page Top

#5 Some 'conspiracy theorists' still insist many of Saddam's BIO weapons and materials migrated to Syria.

Who would want to go to Syria, and for what purpose ?

Posted by Besoeker 2023-09-12 08:13|| 2023-09-12 08:13|| Front Page Top

#6 Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia on board his moving fortress armoured train for arms talks with Putin - who he hopes will provide advanced satellite and nuke tech - after red carpet send-off in Pyongyang

Posted by Skidmark 2023-09-12 08:53|| 2023-09-12 08:53|| Front Page Top

08:22 NN2N1
08:15 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
08:14 Besoeker
08:05 Grom the Affective
08:02 Procopius2k
08:01 Procopius2k
07:59 Procopius2k
07:41 Procopius2k
07:37 Procopius2k
07:37 Super Hose
07:36 Besoeker
07:35 Besoeker
07:33 Super Hose
07:33 Besoeker
07:32 Super Hose
07:29 Super Hose
07:28 Super Hose
07:26 Besoeker
07:23 badanov
07:09 Besoeker
07:01 Besoeker
06:45 Besoeker
06:43 Richard+Aubrey+
06:38 NN2N1