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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 17-Apr-2014
17-Apr-14 World View -- Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'

Web Log - April, 2014

17-Apr-14 World View -- Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'

Ukraine's 'anti-terrorist operation' turns into a fiasco

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'
Ukraine's 'anti-terrorist operation' turns into a fiasco
Russian ambassador signals coming invasion of east Ukraine
Pakistan Taliban refuses to extend ceasefire, wants 'peace talks' anyway

Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'

Mohsen Rezaei was Iran's top commander during the 1980s war with Iraq

Mohsen Rezaei was Iran's top commander during the 1980s war with Iraq

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has previously declared the need to adopt a "resistance economy," to defeat the Western sanctions. Expediency Discernment Council Secretary and former IRGC (Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps) Commander Mohsen Rezaei discussed the "resistance economy":

"In my opinion, we have so far been successful in the Geneva negotiations, but these negotiations could have been done better. The wall of sanctions was not successful because we have been able to increase our oil exports. America cannot revert to the past because a lack of confidence has been created in it. Fortunately, the Ukrainian matter became a divine blessing for us, because America can no longer convince China and Russia. ...
Resistance economy means the people’s jihad and that the economy must be made resistant against the enemies’ shocks and pressures. ...
Resistance economy seeks to bring the Westerners and the Americans to their knees against sanctions, to the extent that they admit that sanctions were mistake."

AEI Iran Tracker

Ukraine's 'anti-terrorist operation' turns into a fiasco

The "anti-terrorist operation" by Ukraine's army to strike back at pro-Russian separatist activists in cities in eastern Ukraine is turning into a fiasco, a day after it was announced by Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov. Six of the Ukrainian army's armored personnel carriers (APCs) were captured by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine, amid reports that Ukrainian soldiers switched sides to support the militants. The Ukrainian soldiers were obviously unhappy with being deployed against crowds of civilians.

Evidence is growing that Russian armed forces special agents are in east Ukraine, training the separatist militants with tactics -- takint over buildings, setting up blockades, fomenting protests. Speaking in London, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia had sent "thinly disguised" armed groups into eastern Ukraine to spearhead the occupation of buildings.

Ukraine is not a member of Nato, but fears are growing that Russia does not plan to stop with annexing Ukraine. Latvia and Estonia are Nato members, and have large ethnic Russian communities. Nato announced that air patrols over the Baltic republics are to be increased, while Nato warships will deploy to the eastern Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. BBC and CNN

Russian ambassador signals coming invasion of east Ukraine

Vladimir Chizhov (BBC)

Vladimir Chizhov (BBC)

Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's Ambassador to European Union, was interviewed on the BBC on Wednesday. With violent pro-Russian activists in east Ukraine taking over police stations, airfields and government buildings, he was asked why the Russian government does not tell them to stand down (my transcription):

"Well I think in the current situation situation there would be seen by people in eastern Ukraine as Russia betraying them, because they want to see their interests protected, and they want to see a federalization of the country. Our view, and my personal view, is the only way to save Ukraine as a single democratic country."

The "federalization of the country" means making eastern provinces independent republics, which would make them like Crimea, and then vulnerable to Russian annexation. Ukraine is already no longer a "single democratic country," having lost Ukraine to Russian annexation.

Chizhov was asked what would happen if separatists in Russia were occupying police stations and airports. Would Moscow stand by and let this happen?

"I don't think you should draw a comparison between a legitimate government like the one in Russia and self-proclaimed government that came to power as a result of an armed coup in Kiev."

So according to Chizhov, Kiev isn't allowed to do anything to stop the violence in east Ukraine because it's not a "legitimate" government, even though it's the only government. And Russia won't even ask the protesters to stop the violence, because that would be "betraying" them. Therefore, according to Russian logic, Kiev just has to let the violence continue.

What Chizhov didn't mention is that Russia's government isn't legitimate either. The December 2011 parliamentary elections and the May 2012 presidential election were so fraudulent that they triggered massive protests, which Russia's security services brutally suppressed. ( "8-May-12 World View -- Putin becomes president of Russia again, facing harsh new challenges")

Watching Chizhov on television, one can almost see the sleaze oozing out of every pore. But the bottom line is that Russia is fomenting a "civil war" in eastern Ukraine, and apparently is preparing to invade in order to "protect" the ethnic Russians.

Pakistan Taliban refuses to extend ceasefire, wants 'peace talks' anyway

The one-month ceasefire that the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban - TTP) declared has now expired, and on Wednesday announced that it will not be extended. However, the TTP wants to continue the "peace talks" with complete "sincerity and seriousness" which, I assume, means that TTP will keep on blowing up crowded marketplaces and mosques while it pretends to want peace.

It recently emerged that the TTP agreed to the one-month ceasefire in the first place only because prime minister Nawaz Sharif agreed to release 19 Taliban militants from jail. Sharif secretly kept this process last month, though the secret was revealed recently. Apparently the TTP is willing to agree to a ceasefire only as long as murderers are being let out of jail.

In a more bizarre development, two factions of the TTP in Pakistan's tribal area have been fighting each other for control, and have shed a lot of blood doing so. So the TTP leadership has appealed to the Afghanistan Taliban to send a delegation to Pakistan to act as mediators between the two warring factions, and end the fighting. The Express Tribune (Pakistan) and The News (Pakistan)

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 17-Apr-14 World View -- Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing' thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (17-Apr-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 17-Apr-2014 17-Apr-14 World View -- Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'

Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'

Ukraine's 'anti-terrorist operation' turns into a fiasco

Russian ambassador signals coming invasion of east Ukraine

Pakistan Taliban refuses to extend ceasefire, wants 'peace talks' anyway

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 17-Apr-2014
17-Apr-14 World View -- Iran says that the Ukraine crisis is 'a divine blessing'