Posted on 02/21/2014 1:00:00 PM PST by 1rudeboy
KIEV, Ukraine — A frenzy of shuttle diplomacy and hard compromises produced what may be a breakthrough in Ukraine’s 3-month-old political standoff, a crisis that this week prompted the deadliest violence in the country’s modern history.
Protesters remain angry over corruption, crackdowns on democratic freedoms and President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to tighten trade ties with Russia instead of Europe. Radical members are threatening new violence.
But Yanukovych has ceded powers, the re-energized parliament is assuming new authority and events moved faster than ever Friday toward a possible end to the crisis.
Here’s a guide to what’s been happening:
DIVIDED COUNTRY
The protests began in November when Yanukovych abruptly refused to sign a long-anticipated political association and free trade agreement with the European Union, opting instead for closer ties with Russia. Yanukovych is widely despised in western Ukraine, but has strong support in the Russian-speaking east, where he’s from, as well as in the south.
The pro-Western demonstrators saw Yanukovych’s move as a betrayal of national interests and submission to Moscow, and demanded that that he reverse his decision. Their number swelled to hundreds of thousands after a brutal crackdown by riot police. Their demands grew more radical to include Yanukovych’s resignation and early elections.
His supporters in the east, meanwhile, see the protesters and the opposition as manipulated and financed by the West, and feel greater economic and cultural connection to Russia.
VIOLENCE ERUPTS
Peaceful rallies turned abruptly violent in January after parliament, dominated by Yanukovych supporters, passed repressive laws intended to quash the protest. Radical protesters hurled firebombs and stones at police, who retaliated with stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets. At least four people died and hundreds were injured.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Yeh, whenever I want to know what’s going on in the world, I turn to the commie liars at Associated Press and the Washington Post. (Tons of sarcasm!)
Assuming you're not one of the people present at the scene, neither of us is in a position to lie about this, since we're getting our information second or third hand. All we *know* is he said, she said.
Based on what I've read, the warrant was for Randy Weaver's arrest on weapons charges, and anyone who helped him resist arrest was a legit target under the ROE's initially issued by Horiuchi's superiors. In other words, the area around Weaver's cabin was a free-fire zone. After Vicky Weaver was killed, those ROE's were revoked, but Humpty Dumpty couldn't be put back together. The Clinton administration acknowledged its mistake and the beating it would take in public opinion polls, by paying the Weavers to go away, and avoiding a politically-costly trial.
In a way, the FBI people who put together the Waco and Ruby Ridge operations set the stage for the Oklahoma bombing. If they had persisted, it is possible that more such attacks would have occurred in retaliation. This is probably why Ruby Ridge was the last such incident, and that was 20 years ago. If more such incidents had occurred since then, we'd be talking about them instead of Ruby Ridge. They were the exception that proved the rule, that in this country, the authorities are loathe to conduct these operations.
If you prefer RIA Novosti, be my guest.
“And that’s the irony, isn’t it? Normally, the Russians invade during the Olympics.”
Do they? Besides the time they stepped in to protect the Ossetians being shelled by Saakashvili’s army as they slept in their homes, I can’t think of what you might mean. He chose to use the artillery during the 2008 Olympics.
Yeah, those Georgians. A real threat to world peace. /s
‘If you prefer RIA Novosti, be my guest.’
I’d prefer not to be your guest for anything. Thank you, though, for the offer.
That’s fine, and I thank you for not posting in Cyrillic.
And yet good old Lon was at Waco, doing one of those operations that they loathe.
There are practically daily reports of police excess sending swat teams in breaking down doors, shooting dogs and sometimes people.
Abuse by local police officials has been a long-standing tradition shielded since forever by the thin blue line. Without video evidence, it was always he said, she said. Now that cheap and ubiquitous video equipment is a reality, a lot of those abuses are coming to light. Local journalists are also a less compliant than they used to be (in order to preserve access to police sources), given the proliferation of online media outlets that will publicize the outrages that they don't.
But the fact that we are still talking about Ruby Ridge and Waco 20 years later instead of some fresh outrage by the FBI from say, 2 weeks ago, shows that the Feds have been much more circumspect since then. And some of that care, at the Federal level, may spring from the fear of the kind of reaction that killed over 100 people and wounded hundreds in Oklahoma City.
After his first shot hit and wounded Randy Weaver, Horiuchi fired a second shot at Kevin Harris, who was armed, some 20 seconds later as Harris was running into the Weaver home. The bullet struck and killed Vicki Weaver while she was holding her 10-month-old child behind the door through which Harris was entering the home;[2][3] the round also struck and wounded Harris.[4]
“That’s fine, and I thank you for not posting in Cyrillic.”
Why in G-ds name would I post in Cyrillic?
I do independent contract work for Israeli companies, and sometimes that work is translated into Hebrew.
I’m not sure where you’re going with your comments.
Ukraine's 2010 presidential election was certified by the rest of Europe at the time. To suggest otherwise now is flagrantly false as are your comparisons to communist Cuba.
You’re smarter than both you and I think you are.
Conundrums are great, yes? See my tagline, rookie.
Try to get ahold of yourself. You’re screaming like a liberal.
Anything you say, Ivan.
That plane has landed....in one of the United Arab Emirates.
Did Yanukovich just flee Ukraine?
Rudeboy is one of those folks my parents and grandparents would refer to as a Pinko....while whining about the Russians he is one of the biggest supporters of Communist China. I think Rude still can’t accept the fact the Commies ain’t running Russia anymore
Anyone quoting AP and WaPo and claiming them credible is nothing more than a subversive.
The fact is Soros is funding and supporting the pro EU folks. With the EU teetering on financial collapse...it is insane to want to join them.
marker
Finally, the Soros Fan Club showed up!
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