Andrew Higgins and Michael R. Gordon wrote an article entitled “Russians Open Fire in Ukraine, NATO Reports,” which was published in The New York Times on August 22, 2014. The reporters explained that on August 21, 2014 Russia sent more than 200 trucks into a rebel controlled area of Eastern Ukraine over the objections of the government of Ukraine. This represents an invasion of Ukraine and another act of naked aggression.
NATO officials stated that the Russian Armed Forces had moved artillery units inside Eastern Ukrainian territory in recent days and were firing them at the Ukrainian military. Russia has repeatedly lied and denied it has been sending troops or weapons into Ukraine. No one can trust the word of Russia’s President Vladimir V. Putin for he has become a serial liar.
The reporters explained that Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stated the following: “A major escalation in Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine since mid-August 2014 including the use of Russian forces has taken place. Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces.” Secretary-General Rasmussen did not explained how many Russian artillery units had moved into Ukraine or where they were located, but one Western official said the number of Russian-operated artillery units was “substantial.” NATO based its intelligence report from information provided by several countries that belong to the alliance. Ukraine has been denouncing the Russian military aggression for several months.
A Russian truck convoy passed into Eastern Ukraine from Russia at a checkpoint controlled by rebels in Izvaryne on August 22, 2014.
The convoy continued into Ukraine after passing through a separatist-controlled check point.
Andrew Higgins and Michael R. Gordon wrote that “NATO spokeswoman, Oana Lungescu, said that the alliance had received multiple reports of the direct involvement of Russian airborne, air defense and special operations forces in Eastern Ukraine.” German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is meeting on August 26, 2014, with President Poroshenko of Ukraine Russian President Putin, in Minsk, Belarus.
The reporters explained that Chancellor Merkel spoke by telephone with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on August 22, 2014, and “expressed her great concern” over Russia’s unilateral decision to move its trucks into Ukraine. She also spoke with President Obama and both leaders agreed that the sending of Russian trucks without permission to another nation represented “a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Andrew Higgins wrote in another article in The New York Times reporting that Chancellor Merkel pledged more than $690 million for the reconstruction of Eastern Ukraine and for the aid of refugees.
Pentagon spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby, condemned the Russian truck convoy as an “unauthorized entry into Ukraine” and called for the vehicles’ immediate withdrawal. Ukraine denounced this violation of their territory by Russia as a “direct invasion.” However, Ukraine did not follow through earlier promises and threats to use “all forces available” to halt any Russian vehicles that crossed the frontier without its permission. The comments by President Poroshenko suggested that Ukraine would limit its response to verbal protests and not use military force against the Russian trucks.
Russian aid convoy crosses Into Ukraine
The reporters pointed out that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a long statement explaining it had authorized the crossing of the truck convoy because Russia was tired with the delays by the government in Kiev. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs further stated that “All the excuses to delay the delivery of aid to people in the area of a humanitarian catastrophe are exhausted. The Russian side has made a decision to act. Our column with humanitarian cargo starts moving toward Luhansk.”
Caitlin Hayden, the spokeswoman for the National Security Council, stated the following: “It is important to remember that Russia is purporting to alleviate a humanitarian situation which Russia itself created. If Russia really wants to ease the humanitarian situation in Eastern Ukraine, it could do so today by halting its supply of weapons, equipment, and fighters to its proxies.”
The reporters wrote that the city of Luhansk has come under heavy military pressure in recent days from the Ukrainian armed forces. The rebel city’s recapture by Ukraine would deliver a humiliating blow to the dictator Vladimir Putin, who is facing calls from hard-line nationalists in Russia to intervene decisively to prevent defeat of the pro- Russian separatists.
Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, condemned Russia’s violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine
Sebastien Brabant, spokesman for the European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said the following: “This is a clear violation of the Ukrainian border. This also goes counter to the previous arrangements reached between Ukraine, Russia and the International Committee of the Red Cross. We urge Russia to reverse its decision.” Russian dictator Vladimir Putin talked to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone on August 22 and discussed joint steps to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. Putin told Merkel that Russia decided to send the humanitarian convoy into Ukraine because it could no longer wait for Kiev to give the green light. He also expressed concern over escalation of violence in Eastern Ukraine.
Pro-Russian rebels in Luhansk
Andrew Higgins pointed out that the first trucks reached Luhansk in the afternoon of Auguast 22, 2014, where pro-Russian rebels are in control the city. The rebels are surrounded by Ukrainian military forces. Artillery shelling of the city has been ongoing for weeks, cutting off power, water and phone lines and leaving food supplies scarce. In the past few days, Ukraine stated that its troops have recaptured significant parts of Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city. Putin’s humanitarian operation is, in fact, aimed at stopping the Ukrainian military momentum. Ukraine had authorized the entrance of a few dozen trucks, but the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point was clearly an invasion. Ukraine has accused Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a charge that the Russian dictator Putin denies.
Ukraine’s president will meet with dictator Putin
Andrew Higgins wrote an article entitled “Ukraine Leader, Set to Meet Putin for Talks, Warns of Long Struggle,” which was published in The New York Times on August 24, 2014.
President Petro Poroshenko and members of the Ukrainian military sang the national anthem during a military parade in Kiev.
Andrew Higgins explained that Ukraine celebrated its national independence day on August 24, 2014, with a parade of troops, armored vehicles, and missile launchers through the center of Kiev. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko will meet with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for peace talks on August 26, 2014. Poroshenko stated the following: “The events of the last months have pushed us into a real war, albeit an undeclared one. Over the last six months, a new Ukrainian army has been born in heavy and exhausting fighting.” He warned of a long struggle ahead against “insidious treachery.”
Higgins wrote that President Poroshenko stated in his speech that Ukraine, in spite of being nearly bankrupt, would spend nearly $3 billion over the next three years to re-equip its army. Poroshenko said that “It is clear that in the foreseeable future, unfortunately, a constant military threat will hang over Ukraine.” Poroshenko’s remarks on his desire to improve Ukraine’s military set the stage for what are expected to be very difficult talks between him and Putin in Minsk, the Belarus capital. Officials from the European Union will also participate in the conversations in Minsk. Higgins pointed out that “Both leaders face strong pressure from nationalists at home not to make concessions, as the fighting around Donetsk and another besieged rebel stronghold, Luhansk, grows increasingly bloody.”
Higgins pointed out that Poroshenko did not name Russia in his speech, but he left little doubt that he saw Moscow as the aggressor of the war. Poroshenko said “This war was not our initiative — it was imposed on us from outside,” adding that Ukraine’s borders had been violated by a foreign power “without a declaration of war.” Higgins wrote that “Poroshenko compared recent events to those of the 1930s, when Nazi Germany stirred up ethnic Germans living in neighboring countries to create a pretext for invasion.”
The United States, Ukraine, and the European Union have said that the rebels in Eastern Ukraine are financed and armed by Russia. U.S.
Intelligence has revealed that Russia’s weapons, soldiers and fighter aircraft have entered into Ukraine. Even so, serial liar Putin denies playing any role in the conflict. The West hopes that a negotiated settlement to the war in Eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 2,000 people, could be reached. However, Russia has shown no sign of moving away from the position that it has no involment with the pro-Russian rebels and does not control them.
Andrew Higgins stated that “Another hurdle is confusion over exactly what it is that the rebels want for the eastern region: more autonomy within Ukraine to run their own affairs, formal recognition of the independent states they have declared in Donetsk and Luhansk or annexation by Russia. Ukraine says it is willing to give eastern regions more autonomy, but it has ruled out letting them join Russia or become independent.”
On August 22, 2014, Russia sent more than 200 trucks into Luhansk, Ukraine without Red Cross escorts in violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and its territory. Russia said it was necessary to deliver food, water, and other supplies to the people in Luhansk, but Ukraine and the West denounced it as an illegal provocation. The trucks returned to Russia on August 23 without incident. Of course, no one knows if Russia delivered weapons inside the trucks along with food and water.
Obama is seen by Putin as a weak president and does not fear him
The unilateral concessions that President Obama has done with Russia has endangered our national security. Soon after his election in 2008, Obama gave in to pressure from Russia and did not deploy the antimissile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic that President George W. Bush had negotiated with those two nations. In essence, Obama abandoned all of Eastern Europe to Russia’s sphere of influence which went against our national security interests.
Obama did this without asking Russia for a quid-pro-quo or something in return. It is no surprise that Putin wanted Obama to win in 2008. Putin was delighted that our weak and indecisive president was reelected in 2012. Why? Putin believes that Obama will give in on missile defense and continue to use “flexibility” to eliminate our nuclear arsenal. Putin knows that Russia can continue to push and ignore any threats from our weak president. Putin also knows that Obama will not interfere with his war against Ukraine and will only complain and implement weak sanctions against Russia.
Obama’s request to Dmitry Medvedev, while they were meeting in South Korea, to tell Putin to give him “flexibility” and “space” until he would get reelected, was extremely dangerous. The president did not realize that his secret conversation was heard due to an open microphone.
Obama desires to eliminate completely our nuclear arsenal and reduce drastically the Pentagon’s budget. His own former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has stated several times that those severe cuts contemplated under sequestration would endanger our national security. Before he resigned, Panetta said that “the United States would be left with a force that suffers low morale, poor readiness and is unable to keep with potential adversaries. It would invite aggression.” Obama simply ignored the excellent advice from Panetta since he wants to make the United States a weaker superpower.
In March 2013, sequestration was implemented and $55 billion was cut from the Pentagon’s budget annually for the next 10 years. This massive cut represents 10% of the entire Pentagon´s budget. The U.S. Navy would be reduced from 286 to 230 ships, leaving our Navy the size it had in 1915! The U.S. Army would be reduced from 569,000 to 426,000 soldiers.The 1,990 fighter aircraft of the U.S. Air Force would be reduced to 1,512. The U.S. Marines force would also be cut. Millions would lose their employment in defense-related industries and thus unemployment would increase. The Pentagon recently announced that the Army will be letting go many majors and other personnel as it withdraws from Afghanistan.
All of these severe and alarming reductions are great news to our enemies who now feel emboldened and have less fear of America. Obama has made the United States a world superpower in retreat!
Governor Mitt Romney had stated during the presidential campaign that he would have increased defense spending $150 billion a year in order to make our Armed Forces stronger and more capable of protecting us from our enemies. While China and Russia drastically increase their defense spending and modernize their armed forces, Iran continues to enrich uranium in order to build nuclear bombs and North Korea continues to build nuclear weapons and improve its missiles. Al-Qaida, the Islamic Caliphate, and other terrorist groups continue to get stronger. Obviously, this is not the time to gut the Pentagon’s budget and disarm unilaterally.
The immense weakness displayed by Obama’s foreign policy has encouraged both Russia and China to commit acts of aggression against their neighbors. They have a military alliance, which includes other Asian nations, called the Organization for Cooperation of Shanghai. This powerful military and economic alliance emerged in response to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The efforts of Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reset and improve relations with Russia ended in complete failure!
A more aggressive Putin invaded annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in June 2014 and now is openly at war with Ukraine. The Pentagon has toughened its rhetoric toward Russia, but Putin is unconcerned. Putin considers Obama to be weak as well as the European leaders. The Russian dictator feels that he has a free hand to commit more aggressions against Ukraine, a nation that gave up all nuclear weapons to Russia at the request of the United States Ukraine then signed an agreement with the United States, the European Union, and Russia with the firm promise that Russia would respect its territorial integrity. Ukraine now feels betrayed and abandoned by the United States and Western Europe.
Obama has made our signed international agreements a farce. Our allies highly distrust Obama and feel that they cannot count on U.S. support if they have to face their enemies in the future. Israel found that out quickly as it is fighting Hamas in Gaza, while Obama gives more than $400 million a year to Hamas, a terrorist organization listed as such by the U.S. State Department and world-wide as well.
One sign of the lack of respect which the Russian dictator has for President Barack Obama is the fact that he has sent his Russian strategic nuclear bombers 16 times to penetrate into the northwestern U.S. air defense identification zones during the month of August 2014. It is highly unusual for Russian bombers to conduct these aerial penetrations. The numerous flight encounters by Tu-95 Russian Bear H bombers prompted the scrambling of U.S. jet fighters on several occasions.
If that was not bad enough during one bomber incursion near Alaska, a Russian intelligence-gathering jet was among the strategic bombers Tu-95. Major Beth Smith, spokeswoman for United States Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said the following: “Over the past week, NORAD has visually identified Russian aircraft operating in and around the U.S. air defense identification zones. The bomber flights took place mainly along the Alaskan air defense identification zone that covers the Aleutian Islands and the continental part of the state, and one incursion involved entry into Canada’s air defense zone.”
Defense officers stated that the frequent penetrations of U.S. airspace is very unusual and reminds the Pentagon of the days of the Cold War, when Soviet strategic bombers frequently wanted to trigger air defenses of U.S. territory as preparation for a nuclear war. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has conducted a major buildup and modernization of its strategic nuclear forces, new missiles of several ranges, new strategic missile submarines, and new long-range bombers.
The Washington Free Beacon had reported that two Russian bombers flew within 50 miles of the California coast on June 9, 2014 — which prompted a U.S. F-15 to meet the bombers. A Pentagon official stated the following: “Russian strategic nuclear forces appear to be trying to test our air defense reactions, or our command and control systems. These are not just training missions.”
China’s dictator does not respect or fear Obama and Chinese warships are harassing U.S. Navy ships as well as U.S. aircraft in international waters
In March 2009, the U.S. Navy ship Impeccable, a surveillance ship, was sailing around 70 nautical miles from the new submarine base in Hainan Island when it was confronted by 10 Chinese ships. The Chinese dropped planks into the water and forced the USS Impeccable to stop. Chinese sailors using long poles smashed the surveillance instruments that were being towed behind the ship. The Impeccable was harassed for some time until it retreated from the area. To add injury to insult, the Chinese crew of one boat dropped their pants and showed their bare bottoms in the direction of the Americans. This was clearly an act of war. China has continued harassing the U.S. Navy ships and aircraft in international seas.
Bill Gertz wrote an article entitled “Chinese Naval Vessel Tries to Force U.S. Warship to Stop in International Waters,” which was published on the Washington Free Beacon on December 13, 2013. The reporter explained that on December 5, 2013, the guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens was sailing in international waters in the South China Sea, which China has illegally claimed as its territory.
The U.S. warship was following the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning at the time. According to American officials, a Chinese Navy vessel ordered the cruiser USS Cowpens to stop. The cruiser refused the order because it was operating in international waters and continued on its course. Suddenly, a Chinese tank landing ship sailed in front of the cruiser and stopped, forcing the U.S. Naval vessel to abruptly change its course in what became a dangerous maneuver.
This incident is the result of China’s illegal declaration of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and sovereignty over vast portions of the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Both of these seas are called by China the Near Seas. Bill Gertz wrote that General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had stated that China’s new air defense zone was destabilizing and that this increases the risk of a military “miscalculation.”
China has dispatched fighter jets to the ADIZ to monitor the airspace that is used frequently by the United States, South Korea, and Japan surveillance aircraft and ships. The United States, South Korea, and Japan do not recognize China’s air defense identification zone. The United States sent in November 2013 two B-52 bombers, which flew through the ADIZ but not over the disputed islands of Senkaku/Diaoyu. However, the United States informed U.S. commercial airlines to notify China when their airplanes fly over the ADIZ.
This writer believes that this was a serious mistake by President Obama since by doing so, he has acknowledged the legitimacy of the Chinese air defense identification zone. Defense Department officials have said that China’s declaration of the ADIZ is geared primarily at curbing surveillance flights in the zone, which China’s military regards as a “threat to its military secrets.”
Bill Gertz wrote that Rick Fisher, a China military affairs expert, said that it was likely that the Chinese deliberately staged the incident as part of a strategy to pressure the United States. Fisher believes that the encounter with the United States cruiser appears to be part of a pattern of China´s signaling that it will not accept the presence of American military power in its East Asian theater of influence. Fisher stated the following: “In this early stage of using its newly acquired naval power, China is posturing and bullying, but China is also looking for a fight, a battle that will cow the Americans, the Japanese, and the Filipinos.”
The United States and Japan should also step up their rearmament of the Philippines. China has spent the last 20 years building up its Navy and now feels that “it can be used to obtain its political objectives.” The reporter said that the United States military has been increasing the surveillance of China’s naval forces, including the growing submarine fleet, as part of the U.S. policy of “rebalancing forces to the Pacific.”
It is obvious that China is seeking to control illegally large areas of international waters through which the ships and airplanes of many nations travel. The United States and its allies need to make sure that these major sea lanes, where an enormous amount of international traffic occurs, remain free. The United States needs to defend freedom of navigation at all cost.
Helene Cooper wrote an article in The New York Times entitled “Pentagon Says Chinese Fighter Jet Confronted American Navy Plane” on August 22, 2014. She explained that Chinese fighter jet flew within 30 feet of a Navy surveillance and reconnaissance plane on August 19, 2014, in international airspace just off the Chinese coast. The Chinese aircraft flew closely below the U.S. Navy’s P-8 Poseidon aircraft. It then moved parallel to the U.S. plane with the wingtips of the two aircraft separated by less than 30 feet.
Cooper stated the following: “As a final maneuver, the Chinese fighter executed a barrel roll, apparently to show off its weapons payload to the American pilot. A barrel roll is just as it sounds: A fighter jet rolls over and then levels out. Admiral Kirby called it an aggressive move.”
Cooper pointed out that Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, stated that the intercept, was “very, very close, very dangerous.” The Pentagon filed a diplomatic complaint with the People’s Liberation Army. “We have registered our strong concerns to the Chinese about the unsafe and unprofessional intercept, which posed a risk to the safety and the well-being of the air crew and was inconsistent with customary international law,” he said. The intercept will increase tensions between China and the United States which is already high because of Beijing’s aggressive actions against Japan and other American allies concerning territory in the East and South China Seas.
Cooper explained that this incident has not been the first one in which a Chinese aircraft has harassed U.S. aircraft. A Chinese fighter jet crashed with a U.S. Navy spy plane in April 2001 in the skies above Hainan Island. The Chinese pilot was killed, and the U.S. plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Hainan Island. After the collision, the Chinese government imprisoned the U.S. crew for over a week. It also blamed our nation saying that “the U.S. side has total responsibility for this event.”
Cooper wrote that China has continued to show off its expanded and modern military to the United States in the 13 years since the Hainan collision. When Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited China in 2014, the Chinese Armed Forces gave him a tour of the country’s lone aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.
Obama continues to play golf as the world is in flames
Keith Laing wrote an article on The Hill entitled “Obama tees off as criticism mounts” on August 23, 2014. He explained that President Obama returned to the golf course on August 23, 2014 in spite of increased Republican criticism that he is spending too much time playing golf and being on vacation at the time of several international and domestic crises. Obama returned on August 23, 2014, to the Farm Neck golf club on Martha’s Vineyard, where he is enjoying his vacation with his family.
Republicans, as well the pro-Obama established media, have criticized President Obama of being insensitive for playing golf and being on vacation while tensions increase in Iraq following the cruel beheading of James Foley and the disturbances in Ferguson, Missouri. White House officials have ignored these criticisms. Laing explained that Obama played golf with a “foursome that includes former NBA player Alonzo Mourning, White House Deputy Political Strategy and Outreach Director Joe Paulsen and long-time friend Cy Walker.”
Conclusion
While Russia continues its war against Ukraine, the Islamic Caliphate beheads an American journalist and threatens to behead other Americans and commits naked acts of aggression against the Kurds and Iraq. At the same time al-Qaeda continues to grow stronger, and China exercises imperialism, claims almost the entire East China Sea and South China Sea (and islands which belong to our allies, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other Asian countries, and harasses U.S. Navy ships and aircraft, our president is silent and disengaged.
The Pentagon fears that Russia may attack Ukraine as it is moving large forces towards its boundary with that nation has now become a reality. While the drums of war are beating loudly Obama goes on a relaxing vacation to Martha’s Vineyard and continues to play golf. Even the pro-Obama established media has begun to criticize him for being on vacation as the world is in flames.
It is more than obvious that we have an incompetent Commander-in-Chief. Barack Obama, who has also committed treason against our nation, by entering the war in Libya in support of the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organizations in 2011. Obama later sent weapons from Libya to Turkey to Syria which ended mostly in the hands of al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organizations.
The Citizens’ Committee on Benghazi, which was composed of 18 respected high ranking retired military officers, retired Pentagon officials, journalists and writers, former CIA officials and Congressmen, published a report in April 2014 entitled “The United States Changed Sides in the War of Terror.” The alarming report documented the illegal and unconstitutional actions committed by President Barack Obama in Libya, all of them being impeachable offenses.
