We already had the somewhat “bipolar” statements of Igor Strelkov who could go from “we are about to win” to “they are about to exterminate us” in 24 hours and then back. Still, looking at his videos he looked tremendously stressed and frustrated and, what is really a major issue in such situation, he looked severely sleep deprived. He also clearly was trying to wake up the semi-comatose part of the Novorussian population which preferred to stay home and either let Strelkov’s men die for them or, if all else fails, they hoped for Russia’s Polite Armed Men in Green to liberate them. So, if anything, I feel sympathy for Strelkov who, after all, is a military commander, not a professional spokesman. But then a truly incredible piece of news began popping up all over the Internet: the NDF had taken a major military base with 221 tanks, 228 APCs, 12 Self-Propelled guns, 18 Grad launchers, 183 IFVs, and 12 Mortars. Wow! I even saw an article claiming that the NDF was now in the process of forming an tank division (nevermind that there is a lot more to a tank division than just tanks). Tank division or not, if true this was truly fantastic news. The information came from “chief of the information section of the southeastern front”, Konstantine Knyrik, it was picked up by Interfax and made its way to other news outlets (including ANNA news). A day later the press service of the Donetsk People’s Republic denied this information. In fact, it appears that not only did the NDF not get such a fantastic arsenal – they did not even take the military base from which supposedly this arsenal came from: the Ukies had successfully repelled their attack.
Fog of war or no fog of war – this is a real problem, in my opinion.
All it takes is just *one* such embarrassing situations to shoot down in flames the credibility of all the information coming out of the resistance forces in Novorossia. And again, I will point out to Hezbollah as the perfect example of a successful information policy: as Hassan Nasrallah himself explained in a speech last year, Hezbollah might not always reveal all that it knows, but it will never lie. Never. Hezbollah announces its defeats as well as its victories. It even admits when it does a mistake. And this remarkable policy – especially in the Middle-East – gives Hezbollah a huge capital of credibility, even with the Israelis.
There is another example which the NDF and the authorities of Novorossia might want to pay attention to.
Yesterday evening I was watching a recorded experts panel basically discussing the viability of a Donetsk and Luganks People’s Republic or Novorossia. The panel included mostly Russian experts, but a number of Novorossian officials were also invited. One of the panelist asked the Novorussians what they were doing to help those whose houses were being destroyed by Ukie shelling. The reply was: “we are actively discussing the issue”. At which point, the moderator jumped in and said “stop discussing and help these people now!”
During the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006 Hezbollah had an amazing policy: as soon as the bombs/shells stopped falling out of the sky, a truck with a group of Hezbollah young men would pull up and offer each family whose house had been destroyed three options: a) we rebuild your house b) we give you the money to rebuilt your house c) we help you relocate. The most interesting thing is that Hezbollah did that with all families regardless of whether they were Christians or Muslims and regardless of their political affiliations! Your house is lost – Hezbollah will help you out. Period. And before I get accused of parroting Hezbollah propaganda, I know about this from a (non-Lebanese and non-Muslim) friend who happened to be in south Lebanon during the war (I never read about this anywhere). This friend told me that Hezbollah had developed these policies many years ago during the various shelling and bombing campaigns the Israelis regularly engaged in.
And let me preempt the argument that Hezbollah is awash with Iranian money. So? The NDF should be (and probably is) awash with Russian money. Ditto for the argument that Hezbollah had it easy compared to the Novorussians: not so, Hezbollah was born during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon and it was primarily representing the interests of the poorest Lebanese, not the fact cat millionaires a la Hariri & Co, and most of the original Hezbollah members were rather young and inexperienced. So no, Hezbollah happened in very hard conditions and while Iran and Syrian did help, they did not do the job for the locals Lebanese patriots.
Hezbollah’s example is highly relevant to the Novorussian situation because it shows that what a resistance movement need is what I would call a “holistic” approach to resistance. Yes, the military aspect is important (and Hezbollah is probably the most formidable guerrilla force on the planet), but the resistance effort must include a professionally run public/media information service, a smart fund-raising campaign. Do you remember when you could “buy” one Katusha-rocket for $10’000 on the Internet which Hezbollah would then guarantee would be “delivered” on Israeli positions? They also offered a rifle for a combatant, a full equipment set for a combatant and even 1 AK-74 bullet for $1 if I remember correctly. And money came pouring in! They also developed a computer-based RPG (role playing game) in which the player could play the role of a Hezbollah fighter. The invented many such schemes and did not only rely on Iranian money. Just imagine if such “purchases” were made available on the Russian Internet: “for $1000 you can “buy” an RPG round which will be shot at a National Guard target, for $100 dollars we will shot a mortar round at the Ukies, $10 will buy you a sniper shot and $1 an AK round” – the money would flow in in minutes because it would give Russians in Russia a way to feel like they are doing something useful, that they are participating to the struggle against the Fascists and their death-squads. By the way, there is already a precedent: during the wars in Chechnia, Russian businesses sponsored entire units, including elite ones: the businesses would give them all the money needed to get the best and latest gear in exchange simple for a heartfelt “thank you” from these units. Local OMON and SOBR units often had such corporate sponsors who then could count on the support of these units in case of problems with the local mobsters.
These are just a few examples of how creative one can get with some out of the box thinking. Again, Hezbollah set the gold-standard in this kind of business.
But first and foremost, the Novorussian authorities need to make it clear to the population that voting for independence is not enough – they need to also fight for it. This is what Strelkov clearly tried to do, but this has to be the job of a professional PR person, not an exhausted battle commander. I am sure that with time the Novorussians will do better, but they need to learn fast as Novorussia is still not anywhere near its real resistance potential and people are dying because of this “less than full scale” resistance.
The Saker
Saker Message:
Bakunin:
I disagree with the POW part. Mercenaries should not granted that status. They are nothing more but privately hired mafia hitmen and should be treated and tried as the murderers they are. But they should be tried fairly. Treat your enemy the way you yourself want to be treated like, be a good example worth emulating.
Okay, here is where I reach back to my pacifist Amish heritage and reject Augustinian “Just War Theory” and “International Law” and all the “Geneva Conventions” and try to remind all of you that there is no such thing as “war crimes” for which people should be tried in court and then placed behind bars like animals for conviction.
Instead, it must be recognized that WAR ITSELF IS THE CRIME. I don’t recall ever in reading the Gospel where the Way of the Lord Jesus was explained as justifying killing your neighbor in any circumstance. Do you really think in judgement that Jesus Christ will differentiate your action to kill your neighbor under the color of law through courts and armies vs. your action to kill your neighbor by summary execution? I think not, and I think it matters not morally. If killing is acceptable on a moral plane of divine law, than it hardly matters what human laws say about it how it occurred, does it? Surely you do not think that human law trumps divine law, such that what God approves, man can somehow forbid, and vice-versa?
Christian civilization came to be because of the martyrs, not military force.
While Novorossiya is resisting Kiev/CIA tyranny and brutality with marvelous military heroism which we can all admire and support on the level of human concern, it should not be forgotten that in the long run all of these fighting men would be better serving Novorossiyan civilization by going home and impregnating their wives and keeping themselves out of trouble and having large families that would overrun Ukraine in peace. A wise Mexican said concerning American immigration policy “To populate is to govern.” So true.
The future belongs to those who have the children that will populate it, not to fighters. Look at how Anglo-Saxon civilization has been dying for 100 years because they will not have children. The leaders of the US are now blacks, Jews, and Irish. Do Russian Ukrainians really want Ukraine to be Russian? Have lots of little Russian babies instead of aborting them and using contraception and raise them with an education in Russian civilization!
On 22 June, 2014 11:35, sykes.1 wrote
The reality is that the Kiev junta is slowly grinding down the rebels, and it will be in control of all of the eastern Ukraine by the end of the summer.
The reality is that you have no way of knowing what will happen in the future, but try selling your speculation as an irrefutable fact anyway. Had you presented your assessment as an opinion, that could have created a base for a discussion. Well, it was not to be…
Russia will not intervene because that would stop all trade with Europe, which Russia needs for modernization. It even needs the West for help in maintaining oil production.
You cannot possibly know what Russia will do in the future. Again, you are presenting your opinion as an irrefutable fact and deny a discussion about the merits of your assessment.
Russia is also on the verge of defeat in the Middle East. Assad is hanging on only because the various Sunni factions spend more time fighting each other than fighting him.
And you know that how? Any sources to share to back up your claims (yet again presented as irrefutable facts)?
Б.
@ American Kulak:
That video on LifeNews where the NAF gave a dying Ukrainian soldier a drink of water while they chop off ears is worth a lot of desertions from the Ukrainian ranks, if not new recruits to the NAF.
Could you give a link to this please? Thx!
@ Robin Morritt:
If you want to lose support amongst the general public, then keep repeating that term.
This from a guy who has a link to EuroMaidanPR at the top of his google+ page.
You might want to look up the term “concern trolling” – maybe you’ll suck less next time you try it.
This is war, not paddycake, so please don’t get all moral on me here people. If you want to be a peaceful person in this sort of situation, there is always a monastery nearby, or a farm field calling.
==============================
Facing a monster does not justify you behaving like a monster. If you do, the enemy (your master) has already won.
Lock up for life the mercenary (a common murderer, not a soldier) and you’ll have ample evidences, whenever you need.
You are a real professional, but you just overdid it. The subtle comparison/parification of Novorossija’s defenders with the butchers western proxies delivered the final blow to your cover for every discerning person (and there are a lot of them here).
By the way, you cannot even imagine what kind of strenght and courage and struggle it takes to be a monk.
Christian is as Christian does, even when facing the devil!
Thanks for clearing up the fog.
It seems public opinion is changing here in US. My teen age daughter who is into politics, who has always believed in media version of Ukraine civil war, told me today that she heard about ethic cleansing (she went to a party last night), and agree the tide is turning. She asked me why Ukraine government is bombing the cities, I told her that it is because the government does not care about people live there, want them to go away and put their people from west there. She said she will look into it herself.
I am living in a Obama strong hold, where a few years back, my children came home to tell me I was the only parent would not vote for Obama. (Recently, she has told me that Obama has pissed off everyone).
I see her change of heart as good sign that kids, (and their parents) are started aware what is really going on in Ukraine, and started seeking truth other than media. Someone need to put subtitle in those youtube videos so people can find them.
Novorossiya is half a loaf. Putin would not want just that region without Odessa. In fact Donbass is a sandwich without the meat. 11 million poor, hard working people, about 4 million dedicated to some cause of unity.
The way I see him playing this game, Putin wants all of Ukraine neutralized economically via a protracted war, such that it collapses back into his arms as a large Finland, federal state.
He doesn’t want the West Ukraine in NATO, he doesn’t want the East to be a buffer, he wants to see some sort of status where it returns to status quo ante.
Here is his “Russian” goal. To protect and gather under some legal shield the 20 million Russians who got trapped outside the Russian Federation when Yeltsin sold out the Russian people after the fall.
Putin considers himself the protector of Russian people, Russian culture, Russian religion. His actions are always directed in the most legalistic terms, also. He wants to see binding legal agreements that protect Russians wherever they are living.
So, he protects Mother Russia and all her children.
Unfortunately, Donbass didn’t listen and the US paid for the inevitable conflict to hurt Russia.
Putin’s position would have been justified if there had been no rebellion. He probably, in legal terms, would have been more free to forcefully stop the Kiev onslaught. The ethnic cleansing would not have been with the Army but just the Right Sector and oligarch National Guards.
That is all water under the bridge, blood in the street, fire in the Trade Union, bombs in the civilian parks, and genocide in hospitals and homes. So, it is a proxy war and Donbass is cannon fodder. It was not Putin’s first choice.
As for testing Crimea’s border. That little venture will be the end of Kiev and sanctuary for the governmental structure propped up with US money and bad advice. Russia will obliterate a few key command and control facilities of the Ukies.
And then Odessa will fall into his arms. He will wrap up the South and East shortly after. And he will announce that Ukraine is under nuclear shield of RF.
“Mexican standoff”, Cuban missile crisis II, NATO shits its pants, Obama retreats to Hawaii for 72 holes of golf, Biden’s son resigns, and the CIA launches destabilization plans for Moscow, Baku in Azerbajian, and any state bordering Russia that is within its security sphere.
This is the 24/7 long war against Russia. While the Hegemon remains able and willing to cause chaos, the hegemon will. That is all it can do. 70 years of perpetual chaos, some huge wars, hundreds of smaller wars, destruction, assassinations, misery and mine fields, spent uranium waste, poisoned fields, fractured lives, minds and bodies.
All in the name of “Democracy”.
Putin has God, country and law as his inspiration.
When this is understood by enough people of the world, Putin will win the long war.
Oh, By the way, My daughter also think that Obama is not that stupid to start a war with Russia, I told her that ATO has put more ships, and stay longer than agreed in Black sea, and B-2 bombers are in UK maybe with nuclear war heads (which I read from one source, can some one confirm if it is true?). Obama is more than capable of been stupid. He demonstrated it by push Ukraine into civil war already. I hope information filters up from teen age level level.
I agree that mercenaries should not be granted POW status.
I am more and more skeptical about the militia being able to win this with only covert support from Russia.
If the militia were fighting ONLY agaisnt the Kiev government, then of course I would bet on them to win this eventually.
In the analysis I see, people tend to forget that the rebels are NOT fighting only the Ukrainian army or the Right Sector. You guys keep forgettng the enormous power that is backing Kiev (enormous in comparison with the militia).
Ultimately, the rebels are up against the logistic and military support of NATO, the US, and the deep pockets of various oligarcs. That support is not going to dry any time soon.
Without Russia’s open and forceful intervention, the Donbass will be a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. I don’t see how the population can withstand the forces stacked against them.
@robin morrit:
You wrote “In the UK, 90% of people would reject that statement outright. Why? Because nobody uses the term Anglo-Zionist here. “
Why? Because they are brainwashed and unquestioning and living inside the empire.
RT has a heartbreaking report today (and yesterday) about what’s going on in Eastern Ukraine, called “Peace in Pieces”. Footage of people being very clearly unscripted and honest, distressed, saying their government betrayed them and is killing their loved ones. Not talking heads and political analysis, but real footage of the people there.
I really want to show it to people to open their eyes, but RT hasn’t uploaded it online anywhere!
Dear Saker,
Two very good points made by some of your insightful readers.
First, and please do not be offended by this comment, you are comparing apples and oranges, when you are holding up Hezbollah as an example to follow for the Resistance movement of Novorrossiya. Hezbollah was fighting on its own territory against a foreign invader, while the Novorossiya defense team is fighting against fellow Ukrainians who know the terrain and the language and the culture of their opponents very well. The people on both sides of this conflict had rubbed elbows and done business with each other basically forever until foreign meddling and intervention pitched one side against the other. A quick look at Yanukovich and Poroshenko reveals that the two of them resemble each other like two drops of water, and not just on a physical level, but on an intellectual and emotional and cultural plane as well.
So I doubt that the Hezbollah model has very much value in this instance.
A very important second point that another reader made is that Russia has basically no allies that she can rely on to back her in a fight with the US-Nato.
Russia at this point is like a swimmer who has been caught in a riptide and is being dragged out to sea. If the swimmer tries to fight the riptide currents he quickly becomes exhausted and drowns. On the other hand he can let himself be carried away by the current for a while until he is sufficiently far out to start lateral and oblique motion towards a different point on shore.
Russia will only be able to intervene massively and decisively when at least parts of Europe are decoupled from the US-Nato alliance. This could happen sooner than we think, as the whole European Union construct is very fragile and the wheels could come off it at any time. A crash and collapse of Europe as it is organized now is inevitable even though the timing is hard to “guesstimate”. When it does happen, Russia will have a lot more breathing space, both politically and militarily. In the meantime Russia is playing its cards right and doing everything it can to drive a wedge between some European nations and the US.
But if Russia goes it alone now against a united front US-European Union-Nato , she is too vulnerable politically and economically to prevail, even though militarily she could hold her own for a while.
Like the experienced swimmer not fighting against the riptide current, she has to let the terminal contradictions mining the European Union from the inside take their final toll and kill the sick patient.
My regards to Larchmonter 445 whose thoughts are always a pleasure to read and whose opinions somehow seem to reflect mine exactly.
Best to you Saker, and may the God of Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Baikal Shamans, smile on you and protect you!
American Russophile
“les said…,
It is the depth of their values, their ‘human assets’ if you will. But it is far more than human assets, it is their understanding of community, of sacrifice for what they know will come to be, simply because it is true and just and embodies the heart of God.
Salam,
How True!
As Dr. Ali Ali Shariati that it is Red Shia versus the Black Shia. The Red Shia who is covered in blood in self sacrifice against the oppression, irregardless who this oppression is against.
The Black Shia who is in constant mourning.
Success destroys values, it does not enable them. The greatest danger they face is their own success.
Yes, this is what the Shia is always afraid of. Throughout history the Shia have been willing to be persecuted, rather than become the persecutors. Power corrupts absolutely. It is the scarf ice the Shia are always willing to make.
Every land is Karbala, every day is Asuhra.
Best regards,
Mohamed.
I really think NAF needs body armors, can RF deliver them those? Or people in Russia sponsor them those?
Regarding Hassan Nasrallah, he is a SHIA and the Follower of the Prophet Muhammad and his Family.
For the Shia , The Prophet Family , that is Ali , Hassan ans Hussein have set a very high standard and morals. I only wish more people would read the nahjul balagha which are the sayying of Ali.
He was a true warrior and a gentleman.
I am not here to preach shiaism to anyone but just to give a better understand of why Hassan nasrallah is the way he is and why shia will die defending there shrines and there principles.
http://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-1-sermons
This week would be a good time to up the semi-official status of Novorossia and Tsarev. Possibly using the new Russian Army logo which is an incredible anti-US political statement in itself. The Western media will say: ‘New Russia’, ‘Tsar’ and ‘Soviet Union’ in reference to the logo – but that’s cool, it’s a great branding package and represents a clear choice for the people of the Southeast.
All support to Novorossia!
@ Sykes1 22 June, 2014 11:35
“the other hand, maybe Russia just collapses into Third World status.”
Yes, troll, and maybe the sun will disappear tomorrow.
What Ukraine Looks Like Now: Photos by Yusuf Sayman – The Daily Beast:
http://t.co/KyytRtiyjH
Sloviansk under siege:
http://tinyurl.com/kog4lgd
It looks like Poroshenko has acquired a praetorian guard, which looks suspiciously ‘private security corporation’. They have a consistent uniform, carry FN90’s and have a distinctive logo on their hats. Does anyone recognize it?
It looks like Poroshenko doesn’t true the Nazis (wise man). I wonder if he is wearing a flak jacket under his bulging uniform jacket?
If anyone is curious the direction that President Putin wishes to take in international politics, read this twice. It is a few years old but it almost more relevant today than when he wrote it. It is quite clear from his actions over the last few years that he was quite honest about his goals, he has no hidden agenda, and is unwavering.
By Vladimir Putin – 27/02/2012
Vladimir Putin on foreign policy: Russia and the changing world
a couple quotes I really liked.
It seems that NATO members, especially the United States, have developed a peculiar interpretation of security that is different from ours. The Americans have become obsessed with the idea of becoming absolutely invulnerable. This utopian concept is unfeasible both technologically and geopolitically, but it is the root of the problem.
By definition, absolute invulnerability for one country would in theory require absolute vulnerability for all others. This is something that cannot be accepted. Many countries prefer not to be straight about this for various reasons, but that’s another matter. Russia will always call things as it sees them and do so openly.
…
It appears that with the Arab Spring countries, as with Iraq, Russian companies are losing their decades-long positions in local commercial markets and are being deprived of large commercial contracts. The niches thus vacated are being filled by the economic operatives of the states that had a hand in the change of the ruling regime.
One could reasonably conclude that tragic events have been encouraged to a certain extent by someone’s interest in a re-division of the commercial market rather than a concern for human rights.
…
The Third Energy Package, backed by the European Commission and aimed at squeezing out integrated Russian companies, is frankly not conducive to stronger relations between Russia and the EU. Considering the growing instability of energy suppliers that could act as an alternative to Russia, the package aggravates the systemic risks to the European energy sector and scares away potential investors in new infrastructure projects. Many European politicians have been critical of the package in their talks with me. We should summon the courage to remove this obstacle to mutually beneficial cooperation.
If, after reading the entire statement, you take a step back and look at the big picture he has, it becomes quite clear why he has not sent Russian troops into Ukr. …yet.
Hello?? Anonymous said…
Hezbollah vs New Russia
1. Hezbollah is not fighting with Lebanon Army. Hello?? – the Lebanese army is a national guard/police force. It does not fight any of the dozens of (still armed) factions inside the country. Hezbollah has fought an occupier that controlled the ground for 20 years by direct occupation and through proxy militias.
2. Hezbollah has the territory where it can relocate. Hello?? – Hezbollah is people, Primarily Shi’ite people who live in south Lebanon. They come from villages and they fight for them. They have no where to go.
3. Hezbollah did not emerged out of multi level chaos. HELLO?? They emerged out of the total chaos of the Lebanese civil war, in which there were several hundred armed factions controlling sections of the country. Beirut was carved up into fiefdoms of 3 and 4 city blocks. Even in the south, a full half of the people support a rival group by the name Amal, and there is no love lost between them.
4. Hezbollah wanted to win “hearts and minds”. Hello?? They did not set out to convert anyone, neither do they try to do so now. If you like what you see, you have to EARN the right to join them.
5. Hezbollah sold munition against external _enemy_. ??
6. Hezbollah _knew_ it can withdraw and come back. Hello?? – there is no place for the people of south Lebanon to go to. There is no place for Hezbollah to go to. In the last round of war, ONLY the Christians of Aoun’s group (a tenth the size of the Shi’ites by number) would let Shi’ite refugees relocate into their areas.
Even a cursory look at history would have told you these things. Maybe you should take up trolling in another pond…
i gave all those discussions here some thought and thats what I came up with:
http://sdjuric68.blogspot.de/2014/06/the-ukrainian-propaganda-war-i-hear-lot.html
hope it helps.
and yes, its “clickware” :)
To Andrew: When the American mercenaries were killed in Fallujah — their bodies dragged through the streets and hung on a bridge — Americans were horrified and angry. It unleashed the doubling-down of a vicious war against Iraq. What we never saw, nor was ever really reported or discussed, was the killing and cruelty Americans perpetrated against those peoples which fed the incident. In the end the MIC-NeoCon-ZOGs got what they wanted. A whipped-up US public screaming for revenge. Taxpayers footing the bill. More goyim kids being used as chaos-fodder.
There are BIG differences between then and now. Americans are tired of war. Tired of seeing their blood and treasure killed, maimed, drugged out — with lives ruined. Americans increasingly distrust government, the media and corporations. These institutions don’t do what’s in the best interest of America. That’s why the media is flogging this ISIS story so relentlessly. It’s not a matter of people not listening. It’s that they don’t believe anything the media and politicians and gov’t and corporations are telling them. Russia + BRICS needs to leverage this wisely with timely and accurate and non-propagandized TRUTH.
There’s an old saying you can’t out-jew a jew, so take the high road. This is what Hezbollah learned early on — and has used so effectively. Truth is always superior to a lie.
I have a young friend who was teamed with someone who recently returned from Afghanistan. This friend called asking for my advice. He said that the stories this co-worker shares of experience in AFG is so horrendous and distressing that my friend doesn’t want to go to work anymore. Originally he was sympathetic and let the co-worker vent. But it’s become overwhelming. My response was to assure my friend that experiences are based on CHOICES. By joining the US military one CHOOSES to be a part of that experience. You reap the consequences of your choices — good or bad. I told my friend he did not need to suffer for someone elses CHOICES — only his own. We are all at some level affected by the choices our government makes in our name. But we EACH have the ability to choose wisdom and righteousness over evil. And to live ones life according to ones highest sense of right — wherever we are.
Young Americans know their government has chosen evil time and time again. The bread and circus’s only mask the truth for a short time. Those who have perpetrated this evil will reap the whirlwind — just like this poor kid who can’t shed the horror he has seen and participated-in. I weep for my country.
“Nora said….,
les,
Wow. But I think you inadvertently made my point when you mentioned that Lebanese leadership took over in 1993 and resolved whatever problems they had had before. Also, I’m going to disagree with you about leaders emerging — not all leaders ever are good, but difficult times bring out various latent abilities in people that would otherwise have gone unused. I’ve seen it happen and helped it happen, both. And it doesn’t take long to recognize an opportunist; the problem generally is finding a suitable replacement before things get too far out of hand. Also, there has never yet been a perfect, flawless leader. Except one, the Son of God.”
Dearest Sister,
You missed the point both les and Mindfriedo were making. And, I hope that I don’t offend you by the following.
Hassan Nasrallah is nobody and his success has nothing to do with his leadership.
His success has to do with Imam Hussain (as) sacrifice, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (saws), the son of Bibi Fatima (as) and Imam Ali (as) and the brother of Imam Hassan (as).
The central theme of the Holy Quran is that mankind is an oppressor. Adam and Eve were told not to go near the tree lest you become oppressors. The tree didn’t have any significance. Adam and Eve used their “free will” the very first time and approached the tree. God being Infinite Mercy, forgave them both and sent them to earth for a while for enjoyment.
Imam Hussain (as) stood up against the oppressor by sacrificing almost the whole family of the Prophet Mohammad (saws). A self sacrifice in the utmost sense.
This is what a Red Shia is. He/she will stand up to any aggression (oppression) against anyone in a peaceful way. She/he will sacrifice their own life, their own blood (Red Shia) for peace and harmony against oppression.
A Black Shia will mourn the sacrifices of Imam Hussain (as) and his companions year after year. He/she will wear black mourning clothes, as Hassan Nasrallah does every year.
Self sacrifice is in the upbringing and in the blood of each Shia. Shia are very peaceful and they shun becoming ruling class lest they become oppressors.
Shia are the true disciples of Prince of Peace, Jesus (as)
Best regards,
Mohamed.
Andrew said…
Okay, here is where I reach back to my pacifist Amish heritage and reject Augustinian “Just War Theory” and “International Law” and all the “Geneva Conventions” and try to remind all of you that there is no such thing as “war crimes” for which people should be tried in court and then placed behind bars like animals for conviction.
Andrew, since you picked up my reply, let me clearly state that I’m not a fan of “R2P”, because it is founded on a slippery-slope principle with an *very high* burden of proof to be met. I can’t think of any US-intervention since the end of WWII here this principle was really justified. More often it will be abused as a convenient path for imperial policies, which probably explains the highly selective approach.
I do think, however there is a difference between the situation in Donbass now, where people have no other choice but to defend themselves, because the alternative is, at least for the male population, winding up in concentration camps or to be executed and wind up in a roadside ditch – death squad style, as it is taught in the School of Americas. Nobody wanted the war and nobody could ever conceive of them shooting at each other, but in the end they had to do so as it became clear that the population was in the crosshairs for no other reasons than being ethnic Russians.
My reply was only in this special context of the Donbass. Note that this civil war is about explicit extermination, the slur “Colorado beetle” is no accident, it is clearly designed to dehumanise the population (remember “our man Yats” and his notion of “them subhumans”) and declare it free game. Those fighting there in the resistance cannot but kill, because if they don’t then their enemy will. On the other hand, if the Nazi stormtroopers do surrender, then they should be treated in a way the Donbass resistance would like to be treated in captivity.
Instead, it must be recognized that WAR ITSELF IS THE CRIME. I don’t recall ever in reading the Gospel where the Way of the Lord Jesus was explained as justifying killing your neighbor in any circumstance. Do you really think in judgement that Jesus Christ will differentiate your action to kill your neighbor under the color of law through courts and armies vs. your action to kill your neighbor by summary execution?
Oh, come on! That’s a clear strawman you are bashing! Nobody was talking about killing one’s neighbours indiscriminately. I think a good case can be made about the Donbass resistance defending their lives. Most people will choose to live over being killed.
If killing is acceptable on a moral plane of divine law, than it hardly matters what human laws say about it how it occurred, does it? Surely you do not think that human law trumps divine law, such that what God approves, man can somehow forbid, and vice-versa?
Why do you deny others the right to defend their lives? Self defence is not the same as manslaughter or murder.
Christian civilization came to be because of the martyrs, not military force.
There are people living in the real world who want to live. To be clear, nothing against a *voluntary* decision to sacrifice one’s life if others can be saved through it, but there should be no mandatory law requiring it indiscriminately.
Б.
On 22 June, 2014 17:40 the original Paul wrote:
If anyone is curious the direction that President Putin wishes to take in international politics, read this twice. It is a few years old but it almost more relevant today than when he wrote it. It is quite clear from his actions over the last few years that he was quite honest about his goals, he has no hidden agenda, and is unwavering.
Paul, I am curious ;-). Thanks a lot for the link, it’s greatly appreciated.
Б.
Putin, serve dialogo concreto tra le parti
In precedenza il presidente russo Vladimir Putin aveva chiesto un dialogo “concreto” tra le parti in conflitto in Ucraina. Secondo il Cremlino il piano di pace ucraino non deve avere “un carattere d’ultimatum”. Intanto, il presidente dell’Ucraina, Petro Poroshenko, si è detto pronto a negoziare con i separatisti filorussi durante un intervento tv tenuto per presentare il suo piano di pace. “Punti di vista diametralmente opposti non rappresentano una barriera ai negoziati – ha detto – Sono pronto a discutere con coloro che si sono smarriti, che erroneamente hanno adottato posizioni separatiste. Tranne, naturalmente, con coloro che sono stati coinvolti in atti di terrorismo, omicidio o di tortura”
È una vecchia tecnica: incolpare gli altri dei propri misfatti.
Torture ed omicidi di popolazione civile ed inerme sono le specialità della Guardia Nazionale (dove militasno i neonazisti “Banderisti”) e dei mercenari americani di Blackwater, già per questo tristemente conosciuti in tutti i fronti aperti dagli USA negli ultimi anni, dall’Iraq in poi.
Basta leggersi gli ultimi comunicati ufficiali dei membri dell’attuale governo Ucraino e le esternazioni del loro Ministro degli Esteri nei riguardi di Putin, per capire che fanno finta di essere doisponibili per non oerdere l’appoggio Europeo, salvo poi non accordarsi e dare la colpa agli altri (altra famosa tecnica).
Quando si ha a disposizione la CNN, la BBC ed Euronews si fa presto a veicolare le proprie informazioni.
I 15.000 profughi, essenzialmente anziani, donne e bambini che fuggono ogni giorno rischiando la vita sotto gli spari dei militari Ucraini sono sicuramente dei provocatori che lasciano appositamente i loro beni, le loro case, i loro uomini e parenti, il lavoro e la terra per il mero gusto di animare la propagahda filorussa.
Ma faciteme o piacere!
Good points, I guess there are differences between locals and outsiders who has nothing only money vested in the war. When they are dying, then it is not worth it anymore.
Andrew may have a shaky grasp of how solid the petrodollar is and for how long the Empire can sustain unlimited money printing as all of the 5Eyes and lesser eyes fiats circle the toilet bowl together (note the imperial pucker factor about Putin’s aggressive outreach both to the Shi’a of Iraq and the under the bus Saudis, both of whom would love to sell as much of their oil as possible in yuan, rubles, rials or other non-USD currencies).
But unfortunately he is correct as to how the capture of a US/UK merc would be spun, with the most brazen lies that this man was just an innocent businessman snatched off the street somewhere (even in Kiev, however ludicrous that sounds) and dressed up like a mercenary for a GRU/FSB sponsored propaganda video. Why not? Thus far brazenly lying has worked for IntepreterRag and Jen Psaki. Only documenting Kiev’s atrocities with meticulous video evidence, showing which Pravy Sektor units were where using photographs, Google/Yandex streetview and other open source tools as Graham Phillips did about the Lyashko-instigated massacre of the dissenting cops on May 9 in Mariupol, can slowly cause problems for the Empire’s propagandists. Remember in the infowar it’s attrition rather than lightning strikes or bolts from the blue like the Sikorsky leak that count.
The reason Interpreter Rag’s staff used no fewer than a half dozen tweets to spew their hatred towards Alex Jones is that, for all Mr. Jones problems with statements he can’t back up, InfoWars.com was a critical piece of undermining the neocon/Qatari/Saudi/NWO case for direct U.S. intervention in Syria. Once Sen. Ted Cruz said ‘we’re not going to be Al-Qaeda’s air force’ the pro-Syria war neocons were buried in the eyes of even most mainline Republicans, who until recently were up for almost any U.S. intervention against A-Rabs. That pithy soundbite proved completely devastating to the pro-Syria intervention propagandists like Michael D. Weiss, who was reduced to sniveling that the Syrian interventionists had lost the debate to Alex Jones and Mother Agnes Miriam. Think about that for a second — Weiss and others love to claim Jones is just a marginal NWO conspiracist fruitcake, but Weiss admitted his own site and advocacy is so pathetic it got beat by Mr. Chemtrails (in fact AJ doesn’t speak of ‘chemtrails’ per se as weather modification which has been underway for fifty years, HAARP or no HAARP). Weiss also admitted he couldn’t out argue a Catholic nun he and the FSA Twitter troll mob curse with every horrible epithet under heaven.
My point is, our task is not to defeat these liars swiftly or necessarily catch them in a smoking gun lie — though the InterpreterRag crew did indeed step in it by trying to soft pedal and spin the kidnapping and torture of a Russian journalist into a ‘Russian Ministry of Defense confession’. But as usual someone in the Russian media (perhaps Mr. Fedorov isn’t so paranoid about a 5th or 6th column in Moscow) had to go and make up an exchange between Matt Lee and Jen Psaki that never happened, which is a marvelous distraction from Interpreter Rag implying that Lee was duped by Russian propaganda when he asked Psaki about white phosphorous and that no willie peter was ever used by Ukrainian forces. Our task is to slowly undermine them story by story until nobody believes a damn word they say even when they happen to be telling the truth, while painstakingly building our own credibility through networked alternate media sites that cannot all credibly be DDOSd or shut down at once without tipping the Empire’s hand. That is how you win the info war over the long haul. Will that be enough to save Novorossiya? I don’t know.
As an example of network vs network info war (one of these days I’ll write a guest post on Saker.net about this), here’s Weiss issuing his call to propaganda minions and fellow TeamNSA/TeamSyriaIntervention/Throw Poo at Putin circles:
https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/480724324618633216
The reason ‘Russian sock puppet trolling’ is so ineffective is that for the most part even for sites that don’t take the ISPs it is easy for the moderators to label all posts with poor English as paid trolling, even when these are genuine Russians or even non-Russian Europeans expressing disgust at Kiev’s war on the Donbass and US/NATO lies. Until very recently Russian ‘hasbara’ was very top down, reliant on RT and even the somewhat low performing RIAN as the core hubs, while the Empire has multiple centers, activated diasporas, and also makes intelligent use of unpaid but highly motivated ‘shepherds’ especially among ‘ex’ spooks and veterans.
The fact that many of these vets would be outnumbered or outdebated by vets and former IC whistleblowers who feel very differently is irrelevant most of the time. For example, the king of all NSA Twitter trolls is unquestionably ‘ex’ NSA ‘counteintelligence officer’ John R. Schindler, who operates out of the US Naval War College. Anytime John is challenged by almost anyone swarms of fan boys, groupies and even the occasional person who claims to know him in real life come out of the woodwork to defend him and attack the attacker. This is more than just coincidence or having a following, people are receiving alerts. But even Schindler while he thinks of himself as a big cheese is just one head of the hydra. Michael D. Weiss in NYC is another one.
Then you have the journalists at Business Insider or Buzzfeed who can be counted on to parrot whatever propaganda the US IC or the Empire chooses to put out on Russia, Snowden or other subjects and never bother to dig into their sources especially Schindler the way they fault Greenwald for falling in love with his source Snowden. And so in this way whereas Russia’s PR machine has a few nodes (though these have been expanding lately with sites like NEO or Strategic Culture) and is usually aggregated by ZeroHedge as one of the top aggregators in the US (for which it is cursed by the Russophobes as a Kremlin project merely for being run by a libertarian anti-fiat money Bulgarian)…the anti-Russia networks are more disperse and multipronged. The Russophobes can count on the gay lobby, the hardcore Cold Warrior parts of the Israel lobby, loads of old Cold Warriors who get a sense of importance retweeting Ukie falsehoods, and even the occasional odd duck young Republican like @StopAgitprop who is likely the same person behind the NY Young Republicans blog that is pushing the same talking point of Ron Paul movement = Kremlin project.
@ Gayle 22 June, 2014 15:06
@ American Kulak:
> That video on LifeNews where the NAF gave a dying Ukrainian soldier a drink of water while they chop off ears is worth a lot of desertions from the Ukrainian ranks, if not new recruits to the NAF.
This site has more morons commentators than there are ants in any anthill.
The dying man had wound in chest apart from his flak jacket (there was a lot of blood on it). No one checked if he was shot in abdomen.
Giving him water would kill him! You idiots!
Maedhros:
Facing a monster does not justify you behaving like a monster. If you do, the enemy (your master) has already won.
I agree.
Lock up for life the mercenary (a common murderer, not a soldier) and you’ll have ample evidences, whenever you need.
I’m honestly not a big believer in prisons. Prisons dehumanize both the prisoner and guard – with the malefactor living behind bars like a caged animal. Further society bears a terrible cost supporting the life of the malefactor, rather than the other way around, where the malefactor should be making restitution to the society he has harmed. The Church prays on Good Friday for prisoners to be set free, not for evil men to be locked up. I do not see any examples of prisons in the laws of the Old Testament, and they are presented as evil Roman dungeons in the New.
In my mind, punishment should be of three sorts – a monetary penalty for harm to things and some harms to people, or a physical penalty for severe physical harm to another person – whether that be a lashing or an execution or something else I think society can decide. A final sort of penalty can be internal exile to the equivalent of a Siberia or Australia – some remote work camp or penal colony where the wicked mind can be reformed through labor.
You are a real professional, but you just overdid it. The subtle comparison/parification of Novorossija’s defenders with the butchers western proxies
To be clear, you are the one making this comparison and drawing such conclusions. I said nothing of the sort. What I did say is that war itself is evil, and so quibbling about war crimes is silly when the goal and purpose of war is to maim and kill the enemy until he submits to your will. Civilized warfare is really an oxymoron, and in many ways, brutal, brutish warfare is probably for the best, as it tempers war’s otherwise too frequent application in this world out of fear by all potentially involved. One can be involved in such unpleasant business for a good cause, as in Novorossiya, and yet still, although one acts out of Love to defend one’s family and neighbors and country, it is not something which is helpful towards salvation. Otherwise the Holy Canons would not impose a penance upon the practice of warfare showing it to be a sin. Surely you know of Canon 13 of St. Basil?
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Just_war
the final blow to your cover for every discerning person (and there are a lot of them here).
My cover? What do you think I am???? I am nobody. I am an ordinary middle class American and father of 5. I work as a civil engineer to build society.
By the way, you cannot even imagine what kind of strenght and courage and struggle it takes to be a monk.
I’m married and I have also stayed at many monasteries. I know both what I would be giving up and also what would be required. I am not a monk, because I know I could not be one, but I also do not own a gun because I know I could kill without pity if provoked, so it is best to be free of any temptation to not turn the other cheek. For the same reasons, I prefer not to follow some of my relatives who chose to be soldiers. I don’t think such things are unimaginable. I grew up in a parish dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, a pacifist soldier and later a monk.
Bakunin:
Most people will choose to live over being killed
Actually, from everything I’ve ever seen of mass killings, most of them go like lambs to the salughter. Rarely is a resistance put up at the moment of death, even when far more are to be killed than are doing the killing, meaning that if everyone would charge the killer and disarm him, most would live. Insted they cower in front of the gunman, walk voluntarily into the gas chamber, or crouch down voluntarily into the mass grave they were made to dig, hoping for a swift end. I find this behavior seen time and again impossible to square with the idea that most people want to live.
Anyway, I will tell you that I’ve read the Sermon on the Mount many times, and cannot find anthing about “blessed are the warmakers” or not turning the other cheek. The men of Novorossiya do have a dirty job to do now, but its wrong to make the whole civil war have an air of historic inevitability, which removes moral agency from all the actors. If no one had picked up a gun in April, there would be peace right now. Novorossiyans might not like the coup government’s ideas of governing very much, and they very much have a right to be extremely upset at their own government being removed from office by violent force. I think sometimes it is better to be quiet and resentful with such bullies, as you will eventually outlast them, just as they outlasted these same bullies in the 2004 Orange Revolution. But that didn’t happen.
That is all water under the bridge now, though, so there is no sense in developing what ifs. You are quite right about the urgency of the situation of the inhabitants, who do face extermination and extirpation. The real question then, goes back to the first point, which is how to treat the enemy. I don’t think it would be far off from right to say to be compassionate to your fellow countryman who is fighting against you with only the slightest amount of voluntarism, and to be punish with extreme prejudice paid mercenaries sent by foreign agents to kill you. The first you can hope to win over. The second, well, the defection of the Hessins is remarkable as a singular event. There is little reason to hope that humanity and compassion will win over mercenaires to throw down their weapons and quit or switch sides when it is their livelihood to come and kill you.
http://www.thenews.pl/1/2/Artykul/174386,Tape-scandal-PolishAmerican-alliance-worthless-says-foreign-minister
The 221 tanks was not the first dubious ANNA story. The day before they reported that all Ukr. army units in Luhunash province except on the airport had surrendered. Next day several media reported massive attacks on Luhansk… So nowadays I take ANNA News with a grain of salt.
In my opinion The Saker misses the point when he discusses resistance pr. Having a consistent (and true) story starts with knowing what you want: autonomy, independence or annexation by Russia.
Next is centralizing/organizing your pr. Hezbollah has is own newspapers, websites, etc. That gives the leadership some control over what is said. In East Ukraine one Borodai says one thing and next day Strelkov says something completely different.