Distillation of What Ukraine Is Now

The story below has been carefully collected and archived by Alexander Dyukov, Russian historian, author and human rights defender, founder of the Historical Memory Foundation. My part was just to translate and post it here. Well, and to add the last line.

You just have to see it with your own eyes.

These are the former armed insurgents of the so called "Maidan Self-Defense Forces", nowadays the "Kiev-2" battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

They seized a man; made him undress; beat him; tied his hands and threw him into dirt.

It's Autumn; and it's not that warm round there.

They pose with their beaten and bleeding victim lying in the foreground.

The Best Way to Know What Russia Does in Syria

...is to get to the sources, and one of the most reliable ones is the Russian Ministry of Defence, which provides much information first hand.

The only minor problem is that their English is sometimes worse than mine (though, as I wrote well before, my English is not perfect at all — as it is not my native language). Anyhow, together we can do it closer to perfection than ever before.

Today, their piece of news goes a bit beyond the regular warfare chronicles, and this 'beyond' is the most interesting part of it.

Russian Ministry of Defence comments on publications appeared in a number of anglophone media quoting some “medics” of the “Syrian American Medical Society” concerning Syrian civilians who were killed by air strikes of the Russian aircraft carried out against a “hospital” in Sarmin settlement on October 20.

Russian Ministry of Defence is carefully monitoring and analyzing such stovepiping.

First, it is necessary to tell about the Syrian American Medical Society. This organization, which is registered in the American State of Illinois, has as much to do with both medicine and medics as ISIS has to do with the international Scout Movement.

Since its foundation in 2012, the organization was mainly used for publishing so-called “evidence” of using chemical weapons against the Syrian opposition. When it became evident all those "evidences" wee lies, the “agency” laid low quietly.

Apology of Tony Blair

Having watched Blair's inteview to Fareed Zakaria, I didn't believe my eyes (well, rather ears) first. Tony Blair did publically admit and say apologies they had been misinformed by their intelligence about Iraq, and they had had bad plans about Iraq's future after Saddam was thrown away.

(As soon as the CNN uploads the full video, I'll replace this short extract.)

Some of his words as written by the Daily Mail:

... I apologise for the fact that the intelligence I received was wrong.

Because even though he had used chemical weapons extensively against his own people against others, the programme in the form we thought it was did not exist in the way that we thought. So I can apologise for that.

I can also apologise, by the way, for some of the mistakes in planning and certainly our mistake in our understanding of what would happen once you had removed the regime.

Of course you can't say that those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.

As far as I see it, the British ex-PM says, simply speaking, "I was a stupid bloody moron, and all the shit of today is firmly based upon those bricks I with my boss from the White House shitted out in 2003."

60+ Years of the Middle East History in 7.5 Minutes

The German humorists of "Die Anstalt" TV show remind us how did the USA improved order in the Middle East since 1953. The video was aired about 1 year ago, but it is sooo nice that it well deserves to be shared as wide as possible. And I cannot say the high hat player has somehow changed his own rules of the game he tries to play, so it is not outdated at all.

The one above is original German with English titles. This one has decent Russian titles.

Isn't it funny? Yes, and sadly so.

It looks like the USA are unable to learn on their own mistakes. But being the world-leading superpower they do not prefer to pay for their mistakes themselves, leaving the rest of the world to cope with the burden of having the USA atop and pay their bills. But this cannot last forever.

You can never extingush a fire with gas or matches.

You can never set up peace feeding terrorists, whatever moderate is their colour, with weapons.

By the way, how many refugees from the Middle East and Northern Africa have the USA (and for the matter, Canada and Australia) accepted?

Oh, really? Why so moderate?

UK at OSCE, Who's Your Pusher?

Crazy claims of Ukrainian politicians of "Russian aggression" do not surprise us any more. A circus is a circus. But the international league of their supporters sometimes does.

Here is the image that accompanied a tweet of the UK delegation to the OSCE.

This is a heavy multiple thermobaric rocket launch system TOS-1 called Buratino (our military designers are people with a decent sense of humour: this deadly weapon is named after the Soviet version of Pinocchio), and Russia is accused of giving it to militia of DNR (Donetsk People Republic) opposing Kiev quasi-Nazi regime.

Russian Contribution in Syria

The other day Josh Earnest, press secretary of the White House said at his press briefing:

... We would welcome Russia’s constructive contribution to the broader international coalition that’s been formed to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. Russia has declined to make that constructive contribution thus far.

The very same day the Sputnik brought some news from Moscow about Syria:

"Over the past day, Su-24, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft completed 88 sorties on 86 terrorist infrastructure positions in the Raqqa, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo regions," [Russian Defense] ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters.
The targets included IS command posts, weapon storage facilities, and sites where the group manufactured explosives, he said.
Intercepted talks between Islamic State militants in Syria indicate that parts of the group are ready to leave the combat zone in Syria due to acute weapon shortages, Konashenkov went on to say.

There are about 30 Russian aircrafts deployed in Syria; 88 sorties a day mean our pilots do quite a job.

And... You know what? It seems it is in vain that the White House is waiting for Russia's constructive contribution in Syria.

Because instead of constructive Russia makes quite a destructive contribution.

Pinpoint airstrike of a Su-34 bomber on an ISIS command centre near Aleppo.

Exactly what the IS deserves and the world needs.

May I Not Die?

It is not my text; it is my translation of a text I found somewhere in the Russian part of Internet. I decided to translate it, because in my opinion it delivers a message. A message generated by a Russian man born in the USSR, just like me. Sometimes using strong language — just like me...

"Aunt Lena, may I not die?" There's no tiny little single hair on the head of the boy lying on the bed. His skin is greenish. He looks like Fantomas from the old French comedy, though there's nothing to laugh about. No-thing.

An aged, in her sixties, nurse shakes with all her body. It is impossible to get accustomed to such things. A human being is unable to get accustomed to such things. That's why this being is called human.

"What d'ya say, dear! You aren't going to die, sure..." Tears water her eyes.

"Aunt Lena, you know, my Mom's birthday is on Saturday. I've made a gift, here it is... made it myself... but how can I give it to her if I die? May I not die till Saturday? May I?

Oncology. The room for those who have already crossed the thin line between life and death. These children are all already dead, even though they might still look alive and even talking... Just a few days are left to each of them. Perhaps, weeks or sometimes months. The doomed children — if you say you have seen something more terrible, I gonna hit you.

He does not need anything. Nothing can save him. He just wants to live up to his Mom's birthday and give her his lurid gift made from cheap cardboard and coloured paper. The most precious gift of all his — and her — life. Lord, I do not believe in Thou, but please do help this mother to go through it. Do not let her go crazy, please...

And we — we've got iPhones. Which one is there in the row, the fifth or already the sixth one? We've got toilets of gold. We've got an MP3-player built in in the fridge just for fun. Scientists do not fly into space anymore, yet tourists do. All the science waits in a queue to joyfully meet the needs of walking stomachs and bottomless vaginas. Beauty institutes, academies for pads and tampons, labs for wrinkles fighting creams. The fucking 21st century is there, and we have not enough power to win cancer, AIDS, and a whole bunch of other deadly diseases. And it is not that we are unable — we do not want.

An issue of the Science and Life* from 1959... A set of dreams of our ancestors about future. I'll burn it. Because... hey, mankind, just fuck you instead of a time machine, eternal youth, medicines against all diseases and a photon spaceship in the 21st century. Here's an iPhone for you. And a massager for fat asses. And premium condoms. And drugs allowing to eat without gaining weight. Fress and be healthy. Put all these pads in you know where. Drink Activia. Smear your snout with all these creams. And I gonna…

... Well, the boy did it to survive Saturday. He died a week later.

__________
* The Science and Life — once one of the most popular magazines in the USSR; established in 1890 in Imperial Russia, was published till 1900, then restored in 1934 in the USSR, and is still published.

Obama's Truth on Ukraine

President of the USA Mr. Barack Obama called President-elect of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych on February 11, 2010:

President Obama called Victor Yanukovych of Ukraine today to congratulate him on his election and wish him success in carrying out his mandate. The President commended the Ukrainian people on the conduct of their February 7 vote. This peaceful expression of the political will of Ukrainian voters is another positive step in strengthening democracy in Ukraine. They agreed on the importance of continuing cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation. They also wished each other’s athletes success in the Vancouver Olympic Games.
The strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine is based on shared interests and values. These include expanding democracy and prosperity, protecting security and territorial integrity, strengthening the rule of law, promoting non-proliferation, and supporting reform in Ukraine’s economic and energy sectors. The United States looks forward to working with President-elect Yanukovych and continuing to strengthen our cooperation with Ukraine’s government and its Parliamentary leaders.

General Hodges Says He Does Think

The other day I had a rare pleasure of reading a truly crazy text. It was an interview of General-Lieutenant Ben Hodges published recently in the German Bild under the title, which contained one of those so called Hodges' thoughts and wasa gem in its own kind, namely "Putin came to Syria to draw attention from Ukraine".

Just some extremely hot spots for you to enjoy:

BILD: Syrien, ISIS, Flüchtlinge, Putins verdeckter Krieg in der Ukraine – welche Krise sorgt Sie am meisten, Herr General?
Ben Hodges: Nach meiner Einschätzung sind diese Krisen miteinander verbunden. Egal ob es um die Terrormiliz ISIS geht oder darum, wie Russland die Sicherheitsarchitektur der Welt verändert.

General considers all cryses interconnected, either it is about ISIL militia or changing the architecture of the world's security that Russia did.

I wonder, does anyone else in this world really believe in the bullshit that it was Russia that changed the "architecture of the world security"?

A Proud Father - 2

I am again!

I doubt you can realize the deepness (or height) of feelings I experienced late in the evening of October 9 having finally seen this table displayed before my eyes:

My son Alexander performed his free skating really outstanding!

Foreign Affairs in Pictures

I do enjoy the way our foreign affairs people do their business, making decent use of social networks.

A good question, by the way.

Could you please help our Russian Airforce and Navy to sort out ordinary terrorists from the moderate ones?

Truth Has Witnesses

Here is a short video of Russian missiles flying to their ISIL targets somewhere over the so called Kurdistan on the early morning of October 7, 2015.

But this video tells us a bit more than one could imagine at the first sight.

Even in some faraway from the modern civilization centres region of Middle East, Asia, at a very early time of the day, local people have sufficient media to effectively capture a pretty spontaneous event and upload video in Internet. Here, I suppose, it was Instagram originally (square frame + 15 sec. duration).

So, the questions arisen from this short video are:

Where are the proofs of Russian aggression against Ukraine Kiev regime and its supporters have been crying of for about a year and a half?

Who did shoot down the Malaysian Boeing?

And, by the way, what for did they invest in construction of a funny fence along the Ukrainian-Russian border?

Paint Makes Difference

In fact, I failed to find the original of the following text.
What I am absolutely sure of is that I tried to do my best to translate it.

… The secretary put me through to the orderly officer who politely explained: “Well before the military operation in Syria began a crucial decision had been taken by the General Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry. The essence of this decision consists in our aspiration, traditional for Russia, to strictly observe the principles of legality and justice. Therefore, from now on all our ammunition is divided in two categories: ordinary and moderate. We use exclusively ordinary ammunition against ordinary terrorists, and against moderate terrorists we use exclusively moderate ammunition. So don’t worry, we take modesty of some terrorists into account and are dealing with them justly.”

Having heard these words, I felt considerably better. But I tried to clarify: “So, do you really use exclusively moderate ammunition against moderate terrorists, is it true?!”

My collocutor answered: “Word of an officer!”

I felt absolutely well. To bring the ultimate clarity, I asked: “Tell me, please, what’s the difference between your ordinary ammunition and the moderate one?”

“Our ordinary ammunition differs from moderate ammunition exactly as much as ordinary terrorists differ from moderate ones in Syria: it is carefully painted in colours of lighter, more moderate tints”, the officer answered and hung up.

Image used by the Russian Embassy to London in response to a tweet of Philip Hammond.

Does Obama Follow Sun Zi?

Almost exactly a year ago, on September 24, Barack Obama said in his speech at the 69th UN General Assembly, in particular:

As we gather here, an outbreak of Ebola overwhelms public health systems in West Africa and threatens to move rapidly across borders. Russian aggression in Europe recalls the days when large nations trampled small ones in pursuit of territorial ambition. The brutality of terrorists in Syria and Iraq forces us to look into the heart of darkness.

Each of these problems demands urgent attention.

So, from this viewpoint, the three top threats to the world are: Ebola, Russia, terrorists (evidently, ISIL).

At the same time no one can say these problems received proper medication during the last year. We don't hear about the US' victory over Ebola; after a year of anti-ISIL airstrikes media announced just new and new acts of brutality, terror and vandalism of the ISIL, which doesn't seem to be somehow bothered by the coalition's warfare. Those 'sanctions' supposed to stop so called 'Russian aggression did weaken our national currency to the point of considerable strengthening of our domestic economy, which is not bad at all now, though, surely, could be better.

So, what we have in the world now?

Magically, the second biggest US' trouble is somehow winning over the first and the third ones.

McCain's Strong. But Crazy.

Sometimes watching Fox News makes your day.

Please go to 3:30 and enjoy.

I wonder, is it a true achievement of democracy when such a crazy old fart sits in the Senate? He evidently does not need a TV camera and questions; he needs a doctor and proper medication.

On the other hand, the freedom of speech is the great achievement indeed. If you can add 1 to 1, the conclusion is straightforward: if Russia acts against ISIS and Al-Qaeda, US stands for these brave and courageous powers. Because it's not terrorism that is the US' real problem; as Obama said not so long ago, these are Ebola... and Russia.

The idea of shooting down Russian planes is a bit dangerous, men. You'd better find and kill that brain-eating virus apparently existng in the Senate and/or the White House.

If You don't Know What to Say, Blame Russia!

In a few minutes after the Russian airforse hit their first targets in Syria, that is, after the US media informed of the fact, a storm of bullshit came.

Let's have a closer look on one of its waves, the Daily Mail of the UK. Here's what they write on the matter:

... none of the areas reportedly targeted by Russian strikes are in any of the three provinces known to have an ISIS presence.

The areas struck in Homs are mostly controlled by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, while those hit in Latakia are mostly controlled by a coalition known as the Army of Conquest, which includes Al-Nusra.

The areas targeted in Hama are controlled mostly by Islamist and moderate rebel groups.

You got it? 

Bad Russia mistakenly hit good old Al-Qaeda instead of ISIS. Nice. Do you need apologies?

DailyMail did my day. One Syrian asshole sitting in Coventry in no time counted killed civilians, and mass media started to spread it, as good soldiers of their sergeant. Or puppets of thir master.

If you don't know what to say, blame Russia/Putin of everything. People used to eat it.

But... you know what? We just don't care of various kinds of shit.

I am Russian, and I am proud again.

"If you have forces in the area, we request they leave."