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Russian Provocateurs Prepare The Ukrainian Battlefield
Townhall.com ^ | April 16, 2014 | Austin Bay

Posted on 04/16/2014 7:30:39 AM PDT by Kaslin

For the past month, the Russian government, with Vladimir Putin its spotlight propagandist, has repeatedly declared that brutal anti-Russian ethnic violence as a prelude to ethnic-based civil war is imminent in Eastern Ukraine.

That's a lie. What Eastern Ukraine really faces is a Russian military invasion -- and more on that in a moment.

Kremlin claims of anti-Russian ethnic violence in Eastern Ukraine reprise the false accusations Putin made in February to provide media camouflage for the Russian seizure of the Crimean peninsula. Given the dire life-or-death threat, the Kremlin had to take all necessary military and humanitarian actions required to protect vulnerable ethnic Russians living in Crimea from violent attacks by Ukrainian fascists and ethnic fanatics and yada, yada, yada.

On March 5, the U.S. State Department belatedly issued a fact sheet challenging that Kremlin crock. Titled "Putin's Fictions," the fact sheet discredited Putin's Crimean cover story. Ukrainian nationalists presented no threat to ethnic Russians. On the contrary, "strong evidence suggests that members of Russian security services are at the heart of the highly organized anti-Ukraine forces in Crimea." Putin's claims that Ukrainian fascists had launched "mass attacks on churches and synagogues" were a ludicrous and vicious fabrication.

The March 18 annexation of Crimea, however, was dedicated to the glory of Russia, not humanitarian intervention. "We will do much more," Putin told an adoring crowd in Red Square.

When it comes to vicious fabrications, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, in the Kremlin, a Vladimir is a Vladimir. Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union's primal premier, said, "A lie told often enough becomes the truth." Lenin's Marxist advice prefigures Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels dictum to "Tell the big lie and repeat it." Whether Red or Brown (shirt), a totalitarian thug is a thug.

Polemical repetition to grind down resistance to a lie is one tactic. If, like the Communists and Nazis, you control the state-run media, you can grind away for a very long time. However, Red and Brown thugs of the 1930s supported their lies with violent agitation and, ultimately, aggressive war. In September 1939, as the panzers rolled toward Warsaw, Nazis claimed Poland attacked Germany. In November 1939, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin accused Finland of posing a threat to the USSR, so he demanded territorial concessions and then attacked the little country.

In 2014, Putin's operatives in Crimea orchestrated incidents to "prove" his fiction. In Eastern Ukraine, agitation incidents by Russian operative serve similar propaganda purposes. A State Department fact sheet dated April 13 charged Russian military intelligence officers with coordinating provocations by pro-Russian militants.

When viewed in light of potential Russian military operations, the outline of a well-conceived, integrated military plan emerges. The incidents in Eastern Ukraine smack of calculated battlefield preparation operations. These agitation incidents help the Kremlin gauge Ukrainian capabilities and will to resist. They are also creating operational options for Russian forces, should Putin give the signal to invade.

The incidents in and around Slaviansk provide an example. Russian provocateurs seized government offices inside the city and an airfield to the south. However, Slaviansk is on a highway roughly midway between the cities Donetsk and Kharkiv -- truly key political objectives. Seizing Slaviansk gives Russian forces the option of wheeling north and isolating Kharkiv or turning south to Donetsk. At Slaviansk, Russian forces could drive west toward the Dnieper River and Kiev.

Ukraine understands that Slaviansk is critical terrain. No wonder Slaviansk is where Ukraine has begun its "staged counter-offensive."

Russia, however, could use Ukrainian counterattacks as a pretext for invasion. Here is how that works: On April 15, Ukrainian special operations troops re-captured the airfield south of Slaviansk, which had been seized by an alleged pro-Russian militia. Now think about that for a second -- threatened ethnic Russian citizens, fearing attack by Ukrainian gunmen, leave their neighborhood and go take a strategically useful airfield? Putin -- does he have brass -- claimed several ethnic Russians were slain in the attack; he called for U.N. condemnation of Ukraine. In response, Ukraine asked the U.N. to deploy peacekeepers to protect its territory.


TOPICS: Editorial; Russia
KEYWORDS: russia; ukraine; vladimirputin

1 posted on 04/16/2014 7:30:39 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

They’ve got a KGB agent in charge.
We’ve got a Community Organizer in charge.
Europe has a bunch of sniveling cowards in charge.


2 posted on 04/16/2014 7:37:54 AM PDT by McGruff
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To: Kaslin

These agitation incidents help the Kremlin gauge Ukrainian capabilities and will to resist. —

Seen that tactic at Bundy ranch.

I’ll have more flexibility ...


3 posted on 04/16/2014 7:40:59 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob (You can count my felonies by looking at my FR replies.)
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To: Kaslin

Good article, drives the point: there is no discrimination of Russians in Ukraine, this bogus claim is only a clumsy excuse for Russian aggression. Like they need any...
This operation was in plans for years, all levels of Ukrainian administration is crawling with Russian spies that were activated in recent weeks. Russian spec ops operating openly in areas of disturbance, shielding themselves from anti-terrorist units with duped locals.
Bloodshed is imminent.


4 posted on 04/16/2014 7:41:45 AM PDT by Samogon (Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. - Plato)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Kaslin.


5 posted on 04/16/2014 7:52:02 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Samogon
More pictures confirming the presence of russian troops like this specialist of the GRU spotted in Georgia in 2008 and on April, 13, 2014 in Sloviansk. A witnesses and journalists reported that terrorists used russian words commonly used in Northern Russia. That lady says it what it is all about......... Here we have Ukraine with a yearning for decency, freedom, good life with 43 million in 230,000 sq mi........................ We have russia with 3 only times the people on 45 times as much land.......... with life so bad that they have negative growth for years............. so bad that mothers don't even want to bring children into that hellhole..... Granddaughter cried when she read that above... Ed
6 posted on 04/16/2014 11:01:59 AM PDT by hubel458
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To: Kaslin

>> Polemical repetition to grind down resistance to a lie is one tactic. <<

Ain’t that the truth. You know who the despots are when they can only rely on polemics instead of reason.

>> ludicrous and vicious <<

>> vicious fabrications, <<

>> a Vladimir is a Vladimir. <<

>> Nazi propaganda minister <<

>> a totalitarian thug <<

>> Nazi... Nazi... Nazi... Nazi... Nazi...<<

Yup.


7 posted on 04/16/2014 11:02:18 AM PDT by dangus
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To: hubel458

You need to update your propaganda. This person who claims to love all of her Ukrainian brethren, Russophore or Ukranian, is spouting hateful nonsense.

Russia’s birthrate is up 50%. the abortion rate is down more than 80%. The nation’s population is growing again. Life expectancy grew 5 years in 8 calendar years and has caught up to Ukraine’s. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s birth rate, minus the Russophone’s, would be about the lowest in the world.

None of this says who is right and who is wrong in the Ukraine; it only points out the riotous hypocrisy of one blogger.

>> A witnesses and journalists reported that terrorists used russian words commonly used in Northern Russia. <<

Gee, could that be because much of the population comes from Russia?

>> More pictures confirming the presence of russian troops like this specialist of the GRU spotted in Georgia in 2008 and on April, 13, 2014 in Sloviansk. <<

And I spotted him in the caves of Moriah! Seriously, it could be the same guy, but that doesn’t tell us much. There were plenty of people in Ossetia who are now in the Ukraine. I think (hope?) it’s to their credit that they raided the guy, but the Kiev gov’t recently killed, a war criminal far-rightist who fought against the Russians in Ossetia, then helped lead the Maidan. (Sashco Muzychko)


8 posted on 04/16/2014 11:16:54 AM PDT by dangus
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To: dangus
Does that mean that the no population growth in russia earlier, for a long time, didn't happen. I didn't say now in the post.... The lady isn't hateful she is just saddened by the truth that she has stated.... So are you saying there isn't Russian troops taking over goverment buildings in eastern Ukraine. When the pictures show then in full russian special forces equipment/gear, with new style assault rifles russia uses. Regular so-called protesters off the street in the Ukraine,won't be decked out that way. AND BY THE WAY -- I feel that the Crimea belongs to Russia, with enough minimal territory for access, but that is all. Absolutely all. No more,,, And I want the US,UN,UK, EU, Nato to get right up Putlers nose and send him and his little green assh______ home.....Ed Hubel
9 posted on 04/16/2014 1:27:02 PM PDT by hubel458
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To: McGruff
They’ve got a KGB agent in charge. We’ve got a Community Organizer in charge.

Half right. We both have KGB Community Organizers in charge.

10 posted on 04/16/2014 2:27:56 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: Kaslin
[Article] Lenin's Marxist advice prefigures Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels dictum to "Tell the big lie and repeat it." Whether Red or Brown (shirt), a totalitarian thug is a thug.

Kilroy and Chad proved that the cure for that weighs 180 grains and travels at 2800 fps.

11 posted on 04/16/2014 2:32:11 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: hubel458
Interesting photo of that super-snake-eater guy .... assuming it is the same guy.

We've got a Snake Doctor who might be able to cure that problem.

12 posted on 04/16/2014 2:35:44 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: lentulusgracchus
It is same guy and he is not related to Si.. Another picture of him from Ukraine, I'm getting info from my gun forum Accuratereloading, political forum, who has poster on there from France who is an observer there.He has many contacts, Lots of good stuff about the truth of the Ukraine happenings.ED
13 posted on 04/16/2014 3:36:03 PM PDT by hubel458
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To: hubel458
If these guys are all certified, longtime-veteran spetsnazy snake eaters, they'll chew up and spit out those Ukrainian draftees and four-year guys.

Sounds like a call for Rangers, don't you think? Just to even things up a bit and stop the Russian snake-eaters from having so much fun at the expense of innocent people?

Yes, yes, I know ..... foreign wars ..... well, when Russia is 25 minutes away by ICBM (notice Vlad just tested another MIRV-monster for our benefit?), how do you define "foreign" now? As opposed to right here in my freeking back yard ....?

14 posted on 04/16/2014 3:44:42 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: dangus

What do Putin’s boots taste like? Yummy?


15 posted on 04/16/2014 3:46:41 PM PDT by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: lentulusgracchus
Right now There isn't huge numbers of them in the towns and Ukraine can just use their armor, etc and just bottle them up,and keep out anymore.Until elections, which putin wants to disrupt by inviting an attack, which would kill some civilian shields.That would really harm elections giving putin excuse to move in. ED
16 posted on 04/16/2014 4:20:56 PM PDT by hubel458
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