[ZH] In a striking indication of the American right's increasingly skeptical view of costly foreign interventionism, the Heritage Foundation took an aggressive stance against the $40 billion aid package approved by Congress earlier this month.
In a May 10 statement ahead of the House vote, Heritage executive director Jessica Anderson said,
"This proposed Ukraine aid package takes money away from the priorities of the American people and recklessly sends our taxpayer dollars to a foreign nation without any accountability. America is struggling with record-setting inflation, debt, a porous border, crime and energy depletion yet progressives in Washington are prioritizing a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine." Like COVID, it's over, at least as a front-and-center political crisis for the beltway crowd to milk. It's uncertain whether the Uvalde incident has the legs to replace it all the way to the mid-terms.
Noting Congress had approved a $13 billion aid package just two months earlier, Heritage blasted the new aid proposal for its lack of spending offsets and the absence of a guarantee that European countries would make proportionate financial commitments of their own.
Flirting with an "America first" philosophy, the press release was titled, "Ukraine Aid Package Puts America Last."
Though the aid package proceeded apace, Heritage's opposition was particularly significant because it came from conservative flagship with a profoundly hawkish history.
Heritage backed the invasion of Iraq and continued to defend it well after it had been fully revealed as an unjust disaster. A 2007 Heritage FAQ about Iraq asked—given there were no weapons of mass destruction and knowing what we know now—whether Iraq should have been invaded. "Yes," replied Heritage. "Saddam Hussein's regime was a major threat to American interests and the region as a whole."
Heritage was likewise a steady cheerleader for keeping U.S. troops endangered in the fool's errand that was the Afghanistan war, churning out reports with titles like "Afghan Review Shows Troop Surge Working and "Maintain Momentum in Afghanistan."
In a Ukraine-vote post-mortem at the Wall Street Journal, Heritage president Kevin Roberts said his think tank had been accused of "abandoning conservative principles or embracing populist isolationism. Neither charge is true. But in one sense, both are welcome. The war in Ukraine may finally force conservatives into the intramural foreign policy debate they have put off for more than 30 years."
In a promising sign of how that foreign policy debate may be nudging Heritage, Roberts has elsewhere referred to himself as a "recovering neocon," according to the New York Times.
In an interview this week, he told the Times that Heritage's opposition to the Ukraine package, reflects "a real skepticism among the conservative grass-roots about the entrenched conservative foreign policy leadership."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/30/2022 06:18 ||
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#1
Given the Biden's and others in DC well documented dealings with Ukraine. America also has a right to question how much of the $40B would mysteriously find its way back to DC SWAMP pockets.
#4
America also has a right to question how much of the $40B would mysteriously find its way back to DC SWAMP pockets.
Only about $5B will actually go for weaponry and most of that will be useless or destroyed quickly by the Russians. $9B is going right back into MIC pockets, for replenishing depleted American weapons stocks.
#5
The Narrative shifts again. No more MoD planted bullshit about fumbling Russians; now it's all harrowing tales of "outgunned " Ukrainians and British, American and other mercenaries barely escaping death in ferocious firefights at close quarters with an enemy that actually has artillery and air support -- unlike the pisspoor ragtag third world fighters encountered previously in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Also just starting to see reality creeping into the coverage, with comparisons to the American experience in Fallujah, which took far longer for the American forces to subdue than any city that the Russians have vanquished when up against a NATO-trained and -armed entrenched enemy in Ukraine.
The Russians have been much more effective against an army that is vastly more powerful than anything the US ever faced in Iraq or Afghanistan. Every story now appearing in the Western press about US or UK mercenaries includes a lengthy discussion of how much more deadly this war is than the 3rd world expeditions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Lots of WWI comparisons ... trench warfare + drones. "Terrifyng" being used again and again.
#6
"Yes," replied Heritage. "Saddam Hussein's regime was a major threat to American interests and the region as a whole."
They knew WMD was a lie, just like the rest of them. It was nothing but an excuse to start a war.
Major threat to American interests, yeah sure. More like a threat to Israel. If they wanted Saddam gone why didn't they get thousands of their own soldiers killed doing it?
#9
Rantburg’s archives start on 11. September 2001, or 9/11/2001 in the American style. We watched — and documented — events as they happened, including the observations of Rantburgers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere then, before, and afterward.
Rantburg’s archives document that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had war chemicals in quantity at the time of the 2003 invasion, even after unknown quantitites had been destroyed by burning in ditches in the weeks before the invasion. The archives document the Saddam Hussein regime’s research into nuclear and biological weapons; hiding airplanes in the desert sands; the Salman Pak training facility for Muslim and Arab terror cadres that provided courses in hijacking airplanes, bomb making, and a variety of other advanced skills that Al Qaeda among others attended; the looooong caravan of trucks carrying Baathist Iraqi gold and other valuables for safekeeping in the care of Bqqthist Syria, where it was subsequently used to pay the jihadis who crossed through Syria to fight the Coalition in Iraq, first signing up with Al Qaeda in Iraq, then its successor organization Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The Archive tab can be seen at the top of the Pages at the right, or search Rantburg by key word using the box over the list of most recent comments in the right margin. A search of “Iraq nuke” for instance, yields this, from 2006.
tl;dr What badanov and Besoeker said. Bertie Lumumba1577, Saddam Hussein’s ambition was to corner the Middle Eastern oil supply, and thus control the entire world. His war against Iran failed, but he neatly conquered Kuwait, and would have taken over Saudi Arabia just as neatly if America, et al had not twice directly interfered — the second time making it impossible for Iraq to repeat the effort for the foreseeable future.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Dmitry Steshin and Alexey Ovchinnikov
[KP] ANGRY AT NAZIS BUT BELIEVE IN PROPAGANDA
Exploring the cellars of the newly liberated "Azovstal," we accidentally stumbled upon a book in a black cover. They opened it and gasped: the book turned out to be a diary, which was kept by one of the inmates of the cellars of the Mariupol plant.
The diary, written in Ukrainian, although it covers a short period - from May 1 to May 17 - but details the conditions of stay in the bunkers: how they got food, got angry at the well-fed and clean "Azov", believed Ukrainian propaganda - in a "happy ship ”, which will take the inmates of Azovstal to the“ evacuation ”, and then they were preparing for surrender.
We have translated this diary from Ukrainian.
From the captured diary:
It is already May, and there is no end in sight to our problems in the environment. Today there was a message about the evacuation of civilians and on the radio they talked about the end of the truce and silence. Most likely, a new, more powerful series of air raids (air bombings. - Ed.) is starting.
The next day, a two-day watch with Koval's group. After four days in the bunker, this is very useful, because here you already want to howl from boredom and hopelessness, and the food is like that, even cry from resentment. We won’t see the Internet anyway, because the authorities don’t care, and on duty in the daylight you feel like a person, and not some kind of rat.
While silence, climbed to the surface. Today we remembered the May Day celebrations in peacetime - barbecue, sunshine and even the opening of the swimming season. How far away is this...
Today I had the opportunity to go online, watch the news. About the adoption of equipment, tanks, artillery and aircraft (apparently, we are talking about the supply of weapons by the West. - Ed.). According to forecasts, in May in Russia they should understand that the matter did not burn out. Even if they mobilize all resources, Ukraine will increase the pressure.
Something flew very well over the bunker in our workshop, dust rose into the air. I moved into the room to "Rezol." But when I looked around, I saw that a large beam was hanging directly overhead. I decided to move to the bench, so calmer.
Today we were going to sort out the rubble over the "shop" with products , where everyone is grazing a little. But the shelling got in the way, you need to move along the street, and these are big risks, especially with such a crowd. So with the products are so-so. Today there was even borscht for lunch, but portions were half a bowl. We save water, give one and a half liters for two days to each.
How glad I am that I do not have the humiliating desire to look for cigarette butts, so many people do.
"ALL TOBACCO FROM" BUCKS "WERE PULLED"
May 3, 2022.
I sawed firewood during the day, there is enough here - the boards and beams are prepared, only the saw is dull. I managed to drink a couple of cups of tea in a day. The problem with water and the queue for the kettle. With sugar too.
One of our positions, "Kommunalnaya," has access to the river. Our Marines set up fish nets there, and Hans saw them out yesterday to collect the catch.
We eat fast, twice a day. There is trouble with the smoking, all the tobacco from the bulls has long been pulled out, the newspapers are spinning.
My main joy is that Palych showed me SMS from his wife saying that everything is fine with them, they love me very much and are waiting for me. Calmed down. Returned from position. I had to kick the dog out of my place. The white dog, who was considered a Labrador, turned out to be a Rottweiler, now he is not white, covered in mud and fuel oil. I don’t know what he eats, he himself has nothing to eat, but he doesn’t leave.
"NO HOPE, MINIMUM PRODUCTS"
05/04/2022.
The lads with Koval returned, they said that there was a heavy mortar attack, one was wounded, Koval was also slightly hooked. The situation is acute. All shelters were dismantled by shelling from tanks and armored personnel carriers.
No news, no evacuation. The unknown is stressful. We need to hold on, but there is no hope. There are still products, but at a minimum.
Eloquent footage from a photo report about the life of the "Azov" and the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the basements of Azovstal.
The prospect of getting out of here is increasingly impossible. It is becoming clearer that we are becoming some kind of bargaining chip. Perhaps this is the piece that Russia will be satisfied with and stop hostilities in Ukraine, taking Azovstal and the Azov people.
We'll just go to the slaughter or humiliating captivity because it looks like we've been forgotten. Today Oleg Kadolba looked a little on the Internet, there are messages about Mariupol from Zelensky: he said that not a day goes by that he does not think about the evacuation. But these are just empty words.
It would be nice to wash off the dirt, because there are only napkins (more precisely, medical masks instead of napkins), and there is very little water in general.
Dreams are somehow torn - trampling, explosions, constant noise of units that pass almost over heads back and forth at night. Thoughts only about the house, delicious food, smoking.
In the 7th company they promised a truce. Upon the return of the platoon commander and the "Archie" group, it remained to wait for the completion of the shelling and the planned sortie to "store 10" (a food warehouse. - Ed.). We went there in two groups (ours had 20 people), but without armor. It was good, because by the time we got there (almost 3 km), I was worn out. There was a tour of the ruins of the plant. The scale of destruction is impressive, the greatness of the broken giant, everything is torn apart.
In order to get food, you need to dismantle the blockages of concrete and brick, under all this to find something that they did not have time to endure before us. This "shop" has been dismantled for more than a week. They pull out sacks of cereals and peas, somewhere they found stew ...
But everyone was more interested in the half-burnt refrigerator. The meat in it burned down, but butter, cheese, sausage and frozen fish were preserved. This stink cannot be expressed in words - from rotten fish that needs to be dug up, because the sausage is vacuum-packed below. And melted butter. Nauseous, but what to do. They collected everything else they could eat. At the base, I had to get rid of the form and wash for a long time, but still, everything was saturated with rotten meat.
"Rostik" told me that the day after tomorrow he had to go on duty with "Kolyaka", because he was dropping out of the team. Blame it all on the “rastamania” that has blossomed wildly in the positions of the Marines and others. "Grass" has become a hot commodity, a bargaining chip. Of course, this is not good for the service. Our young people make a profit on this for the platoon - they changed products. Well done.
"WE ARE LOSSERS FOR THEM"
05/07/2022.
The second day the cooks try to make the most of the sausage that we brought (two-thirds of the brats was thrown out anyway - unusable). Roast and add everywhere. I remember Shevchenko's "for a piece of rotten sausage." Sausage reference:
We live on the bare minimum. Something, but we are definitely not fulfilling the combat missions that the state needs here, we are just sitting under siege.
We often have Marines from the 36th Brigade. Those who were abandoned to the mercy of fate by the brigade commander. We often talk about the "Azovites", about their bosses - they sit warm, clean and well-fed, they control the actions of the military from tablets. At the same time, they protect their own.
All other fighters are treated like cannon fodder, considered worthless and losers. Of course, this does not raise morale in any way, but there is no question of military fraternity. There is no open confrontation, but everyone understands that it is precisely the presence of Azov that is the problem, which prevents us from resolving the issue of our stay here without death or captivity.
"SINISTER RUMORS"
May 8, 2022
Nikolai Golubov brought some ominous rumors about Zelensky's agreement on the surrender of the DPR and LPR within the borders of the regions. To my reasonable question - how can the territories controlled by us be given away - he began to convince me that the entire Donbass was already occupied. I do not believe and do not want to swear with these fools.
People say that I lost weight in my face. This is good, maybe it will freshen up my eyes, otherwise when I remember the last passport photo - both laughter and tears.
"EVERYTHING WOULD BE OVER ASAP"
May 9, 2022.
"Palych" with Kodolba came from the positions, but only so that the platoon commander in the workshop would shoot the machine gun with a new mount, a "greenhouse" (night vision sight with a thermal imager. - Ed.). The food is almost unsalted - not enough salt. Portions are also reduced. But I don’t complain - I won’t swell from hunger, and that’s good.
Mid-May is coming soon, but it hasn't gotten any warmer. There is nowhere to hide from dirt from dust, although I constantly wash my hands with an antiseptic. The beard is already thick. It will be interesting to see yourself shaved.
They want to take away the optics of my SVD (Dragunov sniper rifle. - Ed.). Yesterday even received a proposal to change to automatic. I am completely in favor.
The general mood: if only everything would be over, everyone is dreaming of getting out.
"PYLYUKA POST"
05/10/2022
It became more interesting. On the night of May 9-10, airstrikes began, from which even the walls of the bunker tremble. Bombs are now dropped during the day. It is impossible to prepare for the explosion - nothing is heard. This is a little nervous.
Pylyuka pillar. I had to go down, but there was dust there too.
From the news I learned that near Kharkov, ours were conducting a counteroffensive. All is well with the gunners and soon they will master the American 155-mm howitzers, high-precision and long-range. Putin did not introduce mobilization, and he did not hold parades (apparently, the Ukrainian media kept silent about the Parade in Moscow on May 9 - Ed.). Negotiations about our evacuation are ongoing.
"FIGHT OVER PRODUCTS"
05/11/2022.
The commander held a conversation to find out the problems of the servicemen. I raised the question of paying for hostilities. Ideally, it would be nice to get a printout of all payments. We are not able to check the money in the account, as well as send it home.
Nazarliev rushed into a fight against one of the guys. Due to product distribution. It is clear that when someone finds food on the side and feeds in a narrow circle, and someone sits on a scanty ration, there will be problems.
“THIS IS A TERRIBLE IMAGINATION OF ALL THE LOSSES”
05/13/2022
Almost the whole day was on duty near the radio. I heard negotiations with "Lawyer" - a marine of the 36th brigade. They remembered their inglorious breakthrough from Mariupol, two unsuccessful attempts, the escape of the brigade commander, hundreds of losses, prisoners. They said that at the stadium "Metallurg" - a mass grave, 150 fighters. Another truck with their "cargo 200" (the bodies of the dead. - Ed.) was filled up at the "Ilyich Plant".
Losses at Azovstal and in hospitals are also closed in refrigerators that are not working. One of them was destroyed by an explosion. Such terrible things. There were rumors that on one of the bunkers, after airstrikes near the “20 store”, 69 people filled up. It's scary to imagine all the statistics of losses.
After May 9, a new evacuation date is in the air - Monday the 16th. They still dream of a happy ship to a Turkish prison until the end of the war.
"THE RAIN DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THE RUSSIAN TANK"
05/14/2022
The morning brought tragic news - our sniper from the 3rd platoon , foreman Zinchuk, was killed. This is almost the only professional sniper, he was very careful and responsible. Obviously, there are pros on the other side. This is already the fifth loss in the battalion during the rotation, not counting the missing soldier Ivan Krivonos. Came "Archie", cocked, pounced on Demchenko, who made a remark for the noise at 5 o'clock in the morning. Everybody gets on their nerves.
It started raining heavily. God, we already forgot that it could rain. But for more than an hour, a Russian tank worked closely in our bunker - the rain did not interfere with it.
"HOW DO MY PEOPLE DO IN POLAND?"
05/15/2022
From the news that I heard: negotiations on our issue were to be held in Mariupol today, representatives from the “horde” were waiting.
Disappointing rumors: products are running out and it is not known whether they will be issued at all. The grocery store is full. This is where about 70 "two hundredths." (200s means killed. 300s means wounded)
And in general - killed twice as many.
Mid-May, spring has passed, and we do not see it at all. We still wear winter clothes.
I wonder: how are my people doing in Poland? Do they bask in the spring sun? I would warm up.
"HOPE FOR SALVATION IS A LIE"
May 16, 2022. Company "Pamir", "Bunker".
And then came the turning point. Today, at the formation, the company commander reported that our evacuation was beginning. Formally so, but in fact we are disarmed and transferred to the Yelenovka pre-trial detention center, which is under the control of the DPR. And although the command convinces that the word "captivity" does not appear, it still does not change the essence - this is captivity. It is clear that the hope of salvation is a lie.
Today, the seriously wounded were evacuated to the Novoazovsk hospital (also DPR). Those who accompanied them were sent to a pre-trial detention center. They promise decent conditions, "protection" of the Russian guard (not separatists), three meals a day, sleeping places. Hope they exchange it soon. We were allowed to take things with us. But all this does not calm, because lack of freedom and defeat.
Get rid of equipment and armor. We destroy what we can. I don't know what to do with diaries. Leave them here in a hiding place, but I don’t believe that it will ever be possible to find them.
I deleted everything from my phone. Hands go down. Although after what we've been through, it doesn't seem to get any worse.
How senseless and wildly perceived is the last loss of foreman Zinchuk, who did not live long before the evacuation. And today, a sniper killed one and wounded another "Azov" who made their way to the river000.
They say that there will be a different attitude towards the Armed Forces of Ukraine than towards Azov. Lord, when will this all be over. Tomorrow everything will be seen what and how. While I made a sortie to the workshop, wandered through the ruins, such melancholy, it was a farewell walk.
"WE HAVE NO CHOICE"
05/17/2022.
Went over things. Got rid of knives, burned chevrons, as well as pages from diaries with some data. In the evening I clung to Palych and, oh, a miracle, I got 10 minutes of communication. Beloved did get through, we talked for three minutes. I think they understood that I was going into captivity. I didn’t see contempt for us on the news, but we have no choice. What will happen? Everything is in the hands of the Lord.
Commentary by Dmitry Steshin:
We know what happened in the bunker under the Reich Chancellery - there are many eyewitness accounts. Books have been written and films made about it. People are always interested in how bastards get what they deserve, and how Good triumphs over Evil. I have no doubt that the last days of the "Azovstal inmates" will also arouse burning interest.
There are too many coincidences in two stories, although there are exactly 77 years between them - the same spring. The ideas are the same, the symbolism is the same - swastikas and runes. At Azovstal, scoundrels got into trouble no worse than those in Berlin, only with a smaller caliber. But even what they managed to do would be enough for the gallows: they dragged thousands of people to the next world, destroyed a beautiful city. At parting, from evil, without apparent military necessity. And no sense of guilt. No attempt to think: “What did we do wrong, since we were driven into these cellars like rats? What are they guilty of?"
No. The "prisoners" think only how to save their skins, they are waiting for NATO intervention, they believe in a Turkish steamship that will take them out to the last, to captivity.
Note that this diary was not written by a rabid Nazi from Azov. No, this is some kind of combatant from the National Guard. An officer seconded to Mariupol. He will serve time, and will leave, apparently, with a "clear conscience", theoretically.
There was a mise-en-scene when we found this diary under a stinky mattress in a bomb shelter. A militia scout with the call sign "Fox" talked about politics, collecting scattered machine gun magazines in a trash bag along the way. I quote Lisa verbatim:
- In vain they separate the "Azovites" and the rest of the Ukrainian military, this is the same bastard. I spoke to people in Mariupol. The same ukromorpehi shot people with whole families. Just if you didn't like it or aroused suspicion.
I was also told the same. They showed the grave of the victim. On the playground, in the sandbox. Some middle-aged man went into hysterics. The psyche broke down after the shelling. And those who allegedly defended this peasant from the “orcs” and “separators”, instead of giving him a sedative, simply shot him. Like. Without thinking. Ordinary Ukrainian warriors.
No wonder - the officers who were ideologically pumped in Azov were placed as commanders in the rest of the troops. And, judging by the abundance of swastikas on ordinary soldiers taken prisoner, the ideas of bunker inmates from two eras found great understanding in the army, which our troops are now grinding. And there is no doubt that the most interesting bunker that we will open will be in Kyiv. The circle will close.
Commentary by Russian military blogger identified as Donetsky:
Quote from Chechen president Ramzen Kadyrov:
[DonRFLiveJournal]
"That's it! Severodonetsk is under our complete control. The fascists have been defeated. All their positions have been destroyed. The city has been liberated. The inhabitants can breathe easy. From now on, nothing threatens them anymore.
This is simply a brilliant result that our fighters have achieved under the leadership of dear BROTHER, Assistant to the Head of the Chechen Republic on the power bloc of Apta Alaudinov in close cooperation with all the involved forces of the Ministry of Defense and the people's militia of the LPR.
I will not hide that it was originally planned to liberate Severodonetsk in a week, but today I made adjustments and set the task of taking the city under control in three days. As a result, our fighters coped even faster - in three hours. All Bandera detachments shamefully fled from Severodonetsk as soon as they learned that the fighters from the Chechen Republic had begun to clean up the city "
Unlike many, I have a normal attitude towards the Chechens, there are no extra hands at the feast and in the battle, and thanks to everyone who helps in the liberation of Donbass. But this does not negate small clarifications:
1. All the same, the Ministry of Defense and the Corps are in the first place. Cities are taken by infantry in cooperation with artillery and tanks. The National Guard cleans up and acts as part of the infantry forces. It is difficult, risky and honorable, but it is superfluous to shift the accents.
2. Completely Severodonetsk is not taken. The enemy keeps a minimum of industrial and suburbs. Yes, and in the center - there is no photo and video evidence. It's not that I don't believe - I want to assure you of the good, but no. That's when they will be ... And so - street battles in the city have been going on for a long time, there is undoubtedly progress, but it's too early to talk about the end of history.
3. Beyond Severodonetsk - Lisichansk, so it is premature to speak of the end of the pocket, to put it mildly. There will be many more fights. And heavy.
4. The very fact of taking the city is gratifying, but without boilers, small and large, in general terms it does not give anything. For if they withdraw the troops from the pocket, these troops, having gained experience in urban battles, will strengthen the second triangle - Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Artemovsk. And if they retreat from there too, they will receive a grouping of hardened combat-ready troops capable, after rest and replenishment, of attacking themselves or defending themselves in any city.
At the same time, before leaving, such a defense group will turn any city into ruins and inflict losses on us. And there is no boiler. There is the main route, which is under fire control quite tightly, and the second route, which is partially under fire. Both can be used if there is no choice.
5. Withdrawal means that the enemy has changed his mind about dying en masse, and moves on to flexible tactics. This is not good. We have few people. We will either have to sharply increase the number, or there will be problems. There is nothing good in the fact that the fool grows wiser. First of all, for his opponents. War is not taken cities, war is the destroyed enemy troops. At what not so much people, how many structures. It is very difficult to restore them.
So... So it's premature to rejoice. There are still many fights and many problems ahead. The general dynamics is positive, yes, as well as the fact that we are moving forward, and they are moving away, but it’s too early to fall into enthusiasm.
Moreover, the enemy is not far exhausted. In the Kherson region, he launched a counterattack, as a result of which he did not achieve significant success, although it was stated on his part that this was a breakthrough as far as New Kakhovka, but there was progress, albeit insignificant and with losses. This is precisely a counterattack, strictly according to military science, to divert forces from the main front, but our poverty in people, if the militants continue their attacks, will require strengthening the direction at the expense of others.
Yes, and in the North of the Kharkov region, according to the mind, the grouping should be increased and Kharkov itself should be returned to the fire control zone of relatively simple and cheap weapons. This is the rear of the enemy. There is a garrison, a repair base, a logistics hub ... In a word, the most important place for which Iskanders are still expensive to spend. And so in the South we have to calibrate Krivoy Rog, which, if we advanced another 30 kilometers, would be under the blows of heavy artillery and MLRS. By the way, the videoconferencing system is working successfully - both for railway nodes and locations.
If we reduce the message of the text to a single denominator, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation need to increase the size of the group. Actions are taking place on the broadest front, all the same, comparable in length to the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Due to air supremacy and the quality of artillery, we keep it with small forces, but serious deep operations require a different approach.
And I will end with positive things - the supply of heavy weapons to the militants is extremely weak. Harpoon missiles, according to the Ukrainian media, were brought in earlier, and it was with them that our ship was hit, heavy MLRS will receive ammunition with a range of up to 70 km, which turns them into ordinary Hurricanes, and Abrams and planes with other Patriots do not shine.
At the same time, supplies of artillery continue, and this is the main problem. Our war is artillery. And all these Wishlists of Kyiv, they are Wishlists. Deliveries of such weapons would bring the conflict to a new level. Yes, and NATO does not need it, a local long conflict suits them more than.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] 1. Svetlodarsk.
Fighting in the area of Novoluganskoye and at the Uglegorsk thermal power plant.
Fighting is going on in the Klinovoe area. The liberated settlements switched to the republican supply.
2. Artemovsk.
Fighting in the Pilipchatino area, which is located in a semi-circle.
The section of the road between Artemovsk and Soledar is also under fire from Russian artillery. Artillery and rocket attacks continue to be carried out on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the city.
3. Soledar.
Fighting at Stryapovka and Novaya Kamenka.
There are battles near Belogorovka, Nagorny and Berestovoye.
The Soledar-Lysichansk highway is subjected to heavy fire impact. Losses of the APU when using this route are growing. The enemy uses up to two BTGs to try to push our troops back to Lipovoe and Vasilievka.
4. Golden.
A little less than half of Kamyshevakha has been cleared. Fighting is going on near the western outskirts of Toshkovka and in Ustinovka.
Attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to return part of the positions in Toshkovka were not successful.
Fighting continues in Zolote. The enemy is still holding the cut.
5. Severodonetsk.
Fighting in the city, where our troops entered after taking the Mir Hotel area and the bus station. The enemy never received an order to retreat from the city. Fights - in residential buildings, the industrial zone will obviously be left for later.
The group's communications in Severodonetsk have been disrupted, and normal communication with Lisichansk is associated with losses.
There are fights in the area of Voronovo, Borovskoye and Metelkino. Lisichansk is not yet stormed.
6. Avdievka.
The slow advance north of Avdievka and the fighting in the industrial area continue.
There are also battles near Krasnogorovka, Novoselka-2, as well as on the southern outskirts of New York. A rapid pace of advancement is not expected here, since in fact, echeloned fortified areas are being hacked.
7. Krasniy Liman.
After occupying Krasny Liman, the RF Armed Forces are clearing the adjacent forests north of the Seversky Donets (river).
The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being processed north of Slavyansk and in the Raygorodok area. The enemy notes preparations for an attack by the RF Armed Forces on Seversk in order to cut off the only road along which the Severodonetsk grouping can fully retreat if it decides to leave Lisichansk and Severodonetsk in an organized manner. Seversk is actively preparing for defense.
8. Izyum.
Positional battles in the area of Kamyshevakhi, Dolgenkiy, Kurulka.
Fighting is going on in the Bogorodichny area in order to capture Svyatogorsk in order to encircle or force the retreat of the AFU grouping holding Svetogorsk.
The enemy expects an early resumption of the offensive of the Izyum grouping on Slavyansk or Barvenkovo. The grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was reinforced by forces withdrawn from the Kharkov direction and transferred from Dnepropetrovsk.
9. Kharkov.
Positional battles on the line Cossack Lopan-Liptsy-Ternovoe-Rubezhnoye. Attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to advance in this direction ended in heavy losses (especially in the Ternovoye area), after which the hostilities again took on a positional character. The plans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to push the Russian troops to the border failed, limiting themselves to the occupation of several villages on the outskirts of Kharkov and north of Chuguev.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are clearly not planning active offensive actions near Kharkov at this stage, limiting themselves to holding down actions.
10. Kherson.
The attack attempt of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Davydov Brod area ended in much the same way as the attack attempt in the Gulyai-Pole area - the strike group came under artillery and aviation fire and suffered heavy losses. The fighting took on a positional character.
Nevertheless, the enemy clearly plans to continue probing the possibility of advancing northwest of Kherson from Krivoy Rog and Nikopol, where armored vehicles and artillery are being accumulated. We can expect an intensification of hostilities in this area in the coming weeks.
Odessa, Nikolaev, Marinka, Ugledar, Gulyaipole, Velyka Novoselovka - no changes.
[ColonelCassad] In the first photo, the defense scheme of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Severodonetsk. Published at the beginning of March.
In the second photo (screenshot from the video https://t.me/boris_rozhin/51228 ) - a tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine operating according to this scheme in Severodonetsk. Taken May 29th.
Of course, such a scheme was used not only in Severodonetsk, but also in Mariupol, where the inhabitants of the city were taken hostage and used as human shields.
[IndianPunchline] Ukraine is a millstone around Europe’s neck.
The blogger describes himself as a retired Indian diplomat and the son of a Marxist intellectual, suggesting the probability of sympathies for Russia as the heir of the Soviet Union.
Posted by: Slineling Chusong5031 ||
05/30/2022 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[19 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
We could do without the little purple speculative NC-17 Warning Label -- what Bhabdrakumar actually wrote would have been much more helpful than this weird speculation. Bhabdrakunar is not a Marxist, nor is he obsessed with Russia; in fact very little of his writing concerns Russia.
His perspective is always extremely well informed, astute and as he says in his autobigiraphucal inforbation, informed by a sand and humanist perspective.
Here is his Twitter account. Read the man, ignore others' Russophobic obsessive speculation and FUD, expand your perspective. Judge for yourselves
#2
What Bhandrakumar wrote regarding Kyiv and Warsaw:
"About a month ago, in a rare statement, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Washington and Warsaw of plotting to restore Polish control over part of western Ukraine, which Poland had ruled at different times in the past, most recently between the two world wars. The territories include the city of Lviv, which were absorbed into the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.
"The SVR said the US was discussing with Poland a plan under which Polish “peacekeeping” forces without a NATO mandate would enter parts of western Ukraine where the chance of a confrontation with Russian forces was low. The SVR’s intelligence scoop presumably triggered an expulsion of 45 Russian diplomats in Poland and a physical attack on the Russian Ambassador at a public function at Warsaw.
"Curiously, soon afterward, on May 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced “joint customs control” on Ukraine’s border with Poland, which he described as “also the beginning of our integration into the common customs space of the European Union… (and) a truly historic process.” Zelensky said Ukraine-Poland relations are “finally completely free of quarrels and the legacy of old conflicts. I would like the brotherhood between Ukrainians and Poles to last forever… our unity of Ukrainians and Poles is a constant that no one will break.” Two days before that, Polish President Andrzej Duda had visited Kiev.
"To be sure, Zelensky and Duda acted with US approval. In effect, Ukraine’s sovereignty over its western regions bordering Poland is eroded. Kiev has also announced plans to grant special legal status to Polish citizens. Plainly put, a de facto “merger” is under way."
A reclamation of lost territories in western Ukraine (estimated to be 178000 sq. kms) would make Poland much larger than Germany — exceeding 500,000 sq. kms as against Germany’s 357, 588 sq. kms. The geopolitical implications are far too profound to be overstated — to name a few, EU’s future, Germany’s rise, Europe’s autonomy, German-Russian relations, Russia’s security.
#3
Poland's activities are not going unnoticed there. Tit for tat with neighbors who feel threatened as well. Not only Russia. Doing Biden's bidding with the ambition of acquiring more territory. Belarus a very serious observer.
#6
Perhaps the Division of Poland Ukraine was part of the original plan:
Goodbye Ukraine. Welcome back Greater Poland and Imperial Russia
"Was the ongoing war in Ukraine started for the purpose of redrawing the map of Eastern Europe?
In particular, was the objective to restore the frontier between Poland and Russia along the Dneiper River, where it was agreed in 1665 by the Treaty of Andrusovo, an agreement made "permanent" in 1686 by Russia's payment to Poland of 146,000 Rubles. (The ruble was worth more then than now -- about 5000 times more.) Under the terms of that treaty, Russia acquired Polish land to the right of the river, while Poland retained the left bank.
If that is the objective, what is the motivation?
For Russia, the benefit is obvious: the recovery of at least the Eastern half of the former Imperial domain of Little Russia.
For Poland, likewise, the benefit is the recovery of former imperial lands.
But why would Ukraine facilitate its own extinction?
For several reasons.
First, to be rid of those damn Russian cockroaches, to use the terminology of the Ukrainian nationalists.
Better to lose the Eastern territories than tolerate continued cohabitation with people who speak a foreign language, perpetuate a foreign culture, and have allegiance to the super power next door.
Second, to be rid of those damn Nazified nationalists, who not only hate Russians but also Jews, a highly influenctial element of Western Ukrainian society, with over one hundred thousand members in Kyiv alone.
Third, to enter immediately into the European Union and NATO, thereby gaining the prospect of rapid economic development plus increased security from further Russian encroachment.
How did Ukraine hope to achieve these objectives?
Easy.
First, send the Nazis to exterminate ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine.
Second, fail to prevent the Nazis from being killed or taken captive by invading forces of the Russian Federation sent to protect their Ukrainian co-ethnics.
Third, refuse a negotiated settlement with Russia, thus ensuring Russian annexation of East Ukrainian.
Fourth, make Poland an offer of union it cannot refuse, meaning the return to Poland of former Polish territory, including the Polish city of Lvov.
Result: Ukraine will be no more, and everyone but the Nazis and the many thousands of victims of war will be happy.
#9
No mention of the Russian promises to exterminate the Ukrainians, Palmerton? Or how their "denazification" rhetoric is just a small change from their "dekulakization" during the Holodomor?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
05/30/2022 8:44 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Zelensky's puppet master is the billionaire bandit who created and funded the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion which the Russians destroyed at Mariupol. Neither one gives a shit about Ukraine. Kolomoisky is in Israel and Zelensky will probably soon end up in Tel Aviv at his villa there, with occasional jaunts to Warsaw, London and Miami.
The looting began over a decade ago and was used to build up Zelensky's (much smaller) ill-gotten fortune and then to prop up him as a political candidate and Azov and others as paramilitary thugs creating havoc and murdering their way across Odesa and the Donbas.
It is an appalling spectacle. These are the thieves that America has funded and empowered in Ukraine. They have stolen even more money from their oeople and from their western backers than Hamid Karzai or the Iraqis stole from the US. They could not care less about Ukraine. Their only concern is
#11
And, gee, how convenient. All that laundered money moved through primarily blue districts here in America.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/30/2022 9:07 Comments ||
Top||
#12
...Their only concern is looting their country and conning stupid Americans.
Chalabi and Karzai showed that the greatest and most lucrative con is to convince the American neo-conservatives that you are a heroic "freedom fighter" striking blows against the imagined Hitler-du-jour -- even when you're funding and enabling your own country's fascist killers.
Yes, they went after Trump because he was costing them their grip on the GOPe.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/30/2022 9:08 Comments ||
Top||
#14
All that laundered money moved through primarily blue districts here in America.
Kolomoisky's biggest champion in the US, the man who enabled him to break so many laws and launder billions while violating dozens of safety regulations at the steel mills he ran into the ground, was and remains Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's two-part extensive investigative bombshell was published only last November. It has been swept aside in the latest US faux-democracy crusade-cum-war hysteria.
Ohio's senators of both parties have also championed Kolomoisky and helped him evade scrutiny by US regulators and other authorities.
#15
Why not carve up Ukraine and turn the region upside down?
That fits nicely with the American playbook in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq is now effectively a set of three tribal states, with greater Iranian influence. Afghanistan is now part of greater Pakistan (or maybe vice-versa; it seems to be changing by the day).
So why not make Ukraine into Greater Poland + Greater Russia?
Endless tension, endless graft, and a money pit for the MIC: What's not to like?
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 9:23 Comments ||
Top||
#16
^ If they are so gung-ho on self-determination, let them self-determine.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/30/2022 9:31 Comments ||
Top||
#17
was the objective to restore the frontier between Poland and Russia along the Dneiper River?
Notice how different this is from what Kissinger and every other wise diplomat and scholar recommended. Instead of a durable peace settlement based on making Ukraine a neutral buffer state -- what Kissinger called a "bridge" connecting and helping unite Europe with Russia -- the neo-con warmongers and Biden Freakshow are trying to create perpetual conflict and strife with a Dniepr version of Korea's DMZ.
A hardcoded eternal flashpoint. A source of endless conflict. Billions for the MIC. A bottomless ATM for the DC Swampies, Vindman, Nuland, Painter, Manafort, Hunter, Jimbo and of course, don't forget The Big Guy. MISSIONACCOMPLISHED!
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 9:36 Comments ||
Top||
#18
Kolomoisky's biggest champion ... is Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
Manchin is a total scumbag. His daughter has pocketed millions thanks to dad's corrupt intervention on her company's behalf. The safety violations at the rotten and decrepit steel mills that Kolomoisky took over with Manchin's help have destroyed the lives of dozens of American steel workers (and at least one health and safety inspector).
No wonder the Democrats support their filthy war in Ukraine. Sick corrupt bastards
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 9:45 Comments ||
Top||
#19
The Poles and the Biden Administration are playing with fire. Entry of Poland into western Ukraine will inevitably create a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia -- in short, set off World War III.
Here is what a Russian general said yesterday. It is difficult to dispute his conclusions:
"The Poles under the national flag will not go either to Belarus or to Ukraine. Mercenaries, volunteers, whatever you want to call them, can go to the Donbass, somewhere in the Lviv region or the Ternopil region, but not the servicemen of the Polish army. Poland is part of NATO, and one shot from NATO towards Russia is the beginning of the Third World War.
"Everyone understands this, and I think Warsaw received a very clear command from Washington: not to take initiative. America does not want to perish because of Ukraine or because of Poland. In a global nuclear war, which is exactly what World War III will inevitably become, there will be no winners."
#21
^ Yes, this is beginning to look like the Gaza nightmare, only in European soil. Endless war, endless shortages, economic decline... for nothing, really.
There is a sense of dread or malaise settling in now in Europe. One hears the word debacle more and more. The New York Times' correspondent has picked up on this:
"As the war drags on in Ukraine, millions of refugees arrive in Europe, energy prices rise and inflation booms, European policymakers are reflecting a growing fatigue in some parts of the bloc. The oil embargo debacle is a case in point...."
#23
...Endless war, endless shortages, economic decline... for nothing, really.
This is somehow different from life in Europa for the last thousand years? Europeans should be thankful that life was temporarily prosperous for the last thirty or so years.
#24
Over the last 207 years Europe has known many more years of peace than war -- twice as many, to be precise.
There was no war in Europe for nearly forty years, thanks to the Concert of Europe after 1815. There was no war for another forty years after Sedan.
And another forty year period of peace after 1945, and even longer if you consider that the major powers did not fight each other in the Balkan War.
In reality, between 1815 and the present, the major nations of Europe -- France, Germany (including Austria and Prussia) Britain and Russia -- have experienced peaceful relations and prosperity for about 140 or so years: i.e. more than two-thirds of that time. Compare that with Asia or the Levant during this modern era.
#25
The reason for such long stretches of peace is the one that Kissinger alluded to: wise and realistic diplomacy aimed at pensyring each great power's interests and security concerns are respected and balanced.
From 1815-1853 this was achieved through the efforts of Kissinger's hero, Metternich -- with help from his British and Russian counterparts.
From 1871-1910 or so this was achieved mainly through the careful balance established by Bismarck -- again, with help from his counterparts in Britain (esp. Disraeli) and Russia (esp. Count Gorchakoff).
From 1945-1992 this was achieved by the strategy of the brilliant American diplomat George Kennan -- again, by creating a balance of power with Russia.
Perhaps you're perceiving a common thread... Do you see why Kissinger spoke out against the folly of imagining there can be European peace and prosperity while excluding Russia?
Realism isn't always pleasant but it's the only sound means of securing peace and prosperity.
#28
Europeans should be thankful that life was temporarily prosperous for the last thirty or so years.
BAHAHAHAHAHA gratitude??? From Europeans?? BAHAHA that's the funniest thing I've heard all month!! No way. They don't do gratitude. They do contempt. Sneering. Scorn. Disdain.
"The Russians are advancing into the middle of Severodonetsk. The fighting continues. The situation is very difficult," the Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in a statement on social media.
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 17:34 Comments ||
Top||
#31
Billy Budd: when you've spent as much time making this place run as Skid has in making content available, you MIGHT be able to make those slurs. Until then, keep your temporal trollish comments to facts? You're on notice
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/30/2022 17:39 Comments ||
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#32
Polly (sigh) polytechnic grad's still catching up.
The endgame begins.
"Slowly at first, then all of a sudden"
Meanwhile, there's no food scarcity for the EU honchos:
NEW YORK TIMES
May 30, 2022, 4:06 p.m. ET
Matina Stevis-Gridneff
Reporting from Davos, Switzerland
E.U. negotiators who spent hours Monday hammering out an agreement on a Russian oil embargo appeared to be heading into the wee hours. Late in the day, they broke for a dinner of artichoke and creamy parmesan tarts, with a main course of lamb fillet in an herb crust, and vanilla and red currant eclair for dessert.
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 17:47 Comments ||
Top||
#33
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 17:49 Comments ||
Top||
#34
Reality sets in, even for Polly Sigh. "Slowly at first, then all of a sudden..." and now for the all of a sudden -- how quickly the Narrative turns:
Ukraine Is in Worse Shape than You Think - Time Magazine
Ukraine suffers on battlefield while pleading for U.S. arms - the Washington Post
Russian Wins in Eastern Ukraine Spark Debate Over Course of War - Bloomberg
Russia’s ‘cauldron’ tactic may be tipping Donbas battle in its favour - Guardian
Shrapnel in the forests and shells from the sky: ‘I’ve never seen such hell.’ - New York Times
Boris Johnson warns Russia is 'chewing through ground' in eastern Ukraine as he urges more support for Kyiv forces - The Daily Mail
😂
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/30/2022 18:04 Comments ||
Top||
#35
triple pay on a holiday?
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/30/2022 18:05 Comments ||
Top||
#36
Mon dieu... that's a 180-degree change in about 72 hours.
It's almost as if they all suddenly received new orders from their superiors
Over the last 207 years Europe has known many more years of peace than war -- twice as many, to be precise.
This may be good marketing, but maybe not as impressive as intended. 1/3 war and 2/3 peace certainly isn't continuous war, but after a year of war, you need a year to clean up the rubble and another year to gather resources for the next round. Let's call it a continuous process with three discrete phases.
As a side note, the phrase "over the last 207 years" attracts attention for being quite specific. Not "the last couple centuries", but 207 years. Makes you wonder if there is something on the other side of that boundary that would give a different conclusion.
#45
"Lie back and think of... Kissinger"
Definitely first class 'Burg snark. Definitely.
I remember Tom Lehrer saying that he had trouble thinking of any new humor after Henry Kissing got the Nobel Peace Prize -- life being stranger than fiction.
#46
We could do without the little purple speculative NC-17 Warning Label -- what Bhabdrakumar actually wrote would have been much more helpful
Speculation and criticism are what we do at Rantburg, Slineling Chusong5031. If you don’t like it, submit your articles to another site.
There is an option to submit articles with text — and even inline comments of your own using the highlight function — not just an article link. Congratulations on starting your climb up the Rantburg learning curve!
... because he signed a peace treaty that put a cap on the potential damage, in American lives lost and human suffering generally, that would have been wrought had he continued the two preceding Democratic presidents' mad escalation of a pointless American intervention.
Again, it's extremely strange to see intelligent people sneering at pragmatic, realistic solutions to pointless and devastating wars. The cause is either simple masochism or else some bizarre American puritanical impulse -- to punish others by causing harm to oneself.
We Hindi folk have been called worse. I'll take the high road, ignore the racist idiots on this site and focus on the few good and smart people worth talking to.
[Fox News] The protests could have a global impact as demonstrators call out the regime's spending on terror ambitions
Protests against the legitimacy of Iran’s Islamic Republic continue to sweep across the vast country triggered by a multitude of reasons including rising food prices, the collapse of a twin-tower apartment building killing at least 29 people (with more dead feared under the rubble) and a considerable loathing of the clerical regime.
As the protests continue to intensify and spread, U.S. President Joe Biden has stayed on the sidelines and not personally weighed in on the revolts against the clerical regime.
During Thursday night’s protests in the southwestern city of Abadan, where the building had collapsed, people chanted slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself, saying "Khamenei is a murderer; his rule is illegitimate," despite the deployment of riot police.
Police fired tear gas into the air to disperse the angry crowd of hundreds near the building site, online video analyzed Saturday shows. Videos shared online showed a massive crowd near the Metropol Building on Friday night, with lights shining on its facade. In a second video, demonstrators at street level are seen chanting: "Our enemy is here; they lie that it is America!" A third video showed an angry crowd with one shot heard. The person filming turned and ran, shouting: "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
According to human rights activists and Iranians meticulously documenting the regime’s violent crackdown, at least five people have been killed and scores of demonstrators have been incarcerated.
The prominent Iran expert Alireza Nader posted video footage showing demonstrators in the city of Bushehr, located on the Persian Gulf, also declaring: "Our enemy is right here [in Iran], they lie and say it’s America."
The chant "Death to the Dictator!" was also voiced, referring to Khamenei.
"The Biden administration and EU continue to talk about social justice but that just seems to be cheap talk for votes," Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and human rights expert, told Fox News Digital. "That social justice does not seem to extend to everyone around the world though."
"That Biden did not even address the disaster in Iran and the huge anti-regime demonstrations, is another sign of him wanting to cover up the Khomeinist regimes’ crimes against humanity, just so he can make his disastrous [nuclear] deal," she added. "The Iranian people, for the most part, now consider both the Democratic Party and the European leaders as hypocrites and foes."
Lisa Daftari, also an Iran expert, wrote on her website, The Foreign Desk, "As protests enter their third week in provinces across Iran with demonstrators calling for the death of the Iranian supreme leader and the overthrow of the hard-line, radical regime, the Iranian opposition is coming to social media in droves expressing their frustration at being generally ignored and unsupported by the international community."
She continued, "The protesters, whose platform is mainly centered upon the government’s corruption and lack of human rights, have a global message; they’re calling out the regime spending billions of dollars on its terror ambitions and leaving the Iranian people without subsidies to purchase basic goods and live comfortable lives."
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/30/2022 08:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[12 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Perhaps the protesters could learn ‘let’s go brandon’
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.
