Satellite Images Show Russians Shelling Ukraine 582
U.S. officials today made public satellite imagery which they say proves that Russian forces have been shelling eastern Ukraine in a campaign to assist rebel groups fighting Ukraine’s government.
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which released the civilian-taken satellite images Sunday, said they show visual evidence that Russia has been firing shells across the border at Ukrainian military forces. Officials also said the images show that Russia-backed separatists have used heavy artillery, provided by Russia, in attacks on Ukrainian forces from inside Ukraine.
One image dated July 25/26 shows what DNI claims is “ground scarring” on the Russian side of the border from artillery aimed at Ukrainian military units in Ukraine, as well as the resultant ground craters on the Ukrainian side of the border:
So (Score:4, Interesting)
Eurasia has always been at war with Eastasia.
Re:So much unnecessary trouble (Score:2, Interesting)
Because this was never about independence. Russia installed their own primer minister to prevent Ukrain from joining the EU. But he sucked. The EU and the US helped stage a Coup and installed their own pro-west leader in the hopes of getting Ukrain in the EU. No way Russia is letting that happen. The EU has its own problems but they pale in comparison to Russias. The last thing Putin wants is a country with a lot of relatives of Russians getting the EU treatment and finding out how nice it is to be out of their largely lawless, virtual dictatorship of a state.
Re:Great... (Score:2, Interesting)
The rabbit-hole goes deep. Do you not know the depth of US government corruption?
Company In Which US Vice President Joe Biden’s Son Is Director Prepares To Drill Shale Gas In East Ukraine
http://www.globalresearch.ca/company-in-which-us-vice-president-joe-bidens-son-is-director-prepares-to-drill-shale-gas-in-east-ukraine/5393403
So the Vice President of the United States of America has a son, Hunter, who was installed on the board of Ukraine's largest gas producer in May. That
producer is now preparing to drill shale gas in east Ukraine.
That the US MSM reports little or not at all on this is lying by omission. If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!
Re:Weakest Russia ever (Score:4, Interesting)
Russian domestic politics are a bitch.
They're all drunk and angry. Putin has to continue pretending to be a world power, or the anger will land on him.
Considering they die so young (pickled on Vodka), the last living memory of their world power days should be dying soon.
They should settle down to being a 3rd world resource exporter soon.
Re:Weakest US President ever (Score:2, Interesting)
So what are they going to do about it? Give another speech about how Russia is acting against its own interest?
Gaza can send thousands of rockets targeting Iraeli citizens and they won't even say a word.
Iran can make nuclear weapons and they won't even say a word.
Russia can take over Crimea and they get bashed harshly with... a speech.
ISIS can take over Iraq and kill thousands and they won't say a word.
Any country depending on the US for support is lost and left to fend for themselves.
However, if you DARE mention the government should cut a dime of spending you will be labled a terrorist and the IRS, and DOJ will be used illegally to harrass you and oppress you. This administration is far harsher on peaceful critics of its policies than it is on genocide or mass killings of allies.
What a joke.
Out of all those conflicts you posted I can not think of a single one worth the life of even 1 member of the US military. Lets Europe take care of itself, let Saudia Arabia and the other gulf states take care of Iran and the sunni, shia conflict. The USA has been the worlds police force for too many decades, we need to take care of things here at home. Everytime we try to intervene in another country's conflicts since WWII it has been a disaster except perhaps the 1991 Gulf War, President Obama is keeping us out of conflicts we do not need to fight. You call it weakness. I call it wisdom.
Re:So much unnecessary trouble (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:So much unnecessary trouble (Score:4, Interesting)
I doubt he's got enough enemies in Russia with enough power to take him out. He controls the state police and the armed forces. There would have to be mutiny in the armed forces and that won't happen because they do not want to be shot by the state police.
Putin is doing this because he fears others believe he has a small dick. There's nothing more to it than that. Everything else is window dressing to cover up his lack of manhood. The state police are tasked with defending his small dick.
Re:Great... (Score:3, Interesting)
The whole things seems as innocuous as Halliburton's billion dollar no-bid contract in Iraq. It's not just Joe Biden's son either who's been "hired" on to the gas producer, Burisma Holdings:
Time Magazine reports: [time.com]
The team of Americans, made up of friends and family of Obama administration officials, seeks to influence Congress on Burisma Holding's role in Ukraine and the country's quest for energy independence.
Re:Great... (Score:2, Interesting)
You are not really looking at the entire picture.
It starts with some people trying to convince Ukraine to distance itself from Russia and become more European friendly. When the elected president decides to stick with Russia, all the sudden he is a crook and needs removed from office. There are protests demanding his removal, a couple clashes and, he gets removed, flees to Russia and replaced with someone pro west who seems to think rushing these oil and gas contracts in as fast as possible is not nearly fast enough. Now enter Crimea and the Russian backed separatists and there you go.
That's the nutshell of it. Now I suppose the parent thinks it is important that a lot of US government family and friends got cushy jobs on the oil exploration right as this was happening because it shows it happened as someone else like the US was pulling strings and manipulating the Ukraine in order to get that natural gas and money.
Re:Great... (Score:2, Interesting)
You are correct, that the evidence is rather flimsy. Hence, my decision that we need conclusive evidence. All we have is an accumulation of circumstantial evidence so far, and that provided by "our side" is no better than that provided by "their side".
But, in all of this, I keep coming back to the fact that a president was deposed, and another president installed - that president largely relying on some "irregular" forces who keep order in the realm. And, everywhere you look, are western investors who have financial interest in the region.
I remain quite suspicious of Kiev - although I'm not yet willing to state anything like "Kiev did it in an attempt to gain world support for a genocidal campaign in the east of the country." Not willing to commit myself to such a statement yet, but I'm leaning that way.
Re:Great... (Score:4, Interesting)
The side that apparently blew a 300-civilian passenger jet out of the sky because they're too dumb to know what a Boeing looks like is getting direct military support from a major regional power which just happens to have nuclear weapons.
And I thought my hometown of Detroit was fucked.
This is not direct military support.
These are Russians that moved into Ukrainian territory either as soldiers in Russian forces, or as "civilians" over the last few years.
The attackers are RUSSIANS. The guys operating the BUK that shot down the airliner were RUSSIAN SOLDIERS. You don't hand a BUK over to "separatists" and a few months later have them wipe out 5 aircraft in a week. Take a look at the BUK system sometime. There is NO WAY the equipment was "handed over". It was OPERATED by RUSSIANS just like every other proxy war, Vietnam, Korea, and a whole bunch of smaller ones.
Russia is going to do what they are going to do, and for the most part, the West is going to stay out of it. Ukraine needs to start an absolutely brutal guerrilla war, or they are done for. That's all there is to it. (They are probably STILL done for no matter what they do.) The Soviets are re-building their empire.
Re:Great... (Score:4, Interesting)
Self defense is not "in anger."
Actually, it is a case of "in anger". The term has nothing to do with anyone's emotional state or any particular defense/offense scenario under which they might find themselves. "Used in anger" with respect to a weapon means that the weapon is being used as designed with intent to kill someone.