Russian Diplomats Executed

CNN Wolf Blitzer ^ | 062506 | self

[redgolum]

Car bombs going off at American malls, restaurants and sports events will be the antidote for p.c. for Americans.......(maybe)???

Actually, it would mean that the left would cave completely, and take up islam (i.e. the book "Prayers for the Assassins").

[Cheburashka]

If Putin's policy is based on security concerns he seems to have a talent for making things worse for Russia.

He interferes in the Ukrainian elections, and then wonders why they want closer ties to NATO? He lets Duma members make noises about annexing the Crimea, does he expect that's going to make the Ukrainians want to get closer to him, or further away?

Putin, think about the Crimea as being like Chechnya, except without the messy guerrilla war. Chechnya is an internal Russian matter, The Crimea is an internal Ukrainian matter. End of story.

Same thing with Georgia and Abkhazia, and Southern Ossetia. I don't know why, but people tend to object when you start talking about carving up their country like its a pot roast,and taking a few pieces for yourself.

If you want security, work with your neighbors so they feel secure.

He should be worried about China. Yeah China's to do list is topped by Taiwan, and after that comes getting American influence out of South Korea, Japan, the Philippines. That may take a while.

But once the Chinese have got the Americans out of the Western Pacific, where are the Chinese going to be looking for new opportunities. Hint, China has lots of population, and needs energy. Where to find space and energy? Look North. Putin already has his own border problem with immigration from China.

He should be making nice with his neighbors on the West, so they don't feel threatened by him, and looking for American help in the East to restrain the Chinese. Instead he's alienating his Western neighbors and allying with the Chinese, which will encourage them to move on Taiwan. He doesn't appear aware of what's in store in the next act.

[M. Espinola]

"If Putin's policy is based on security concerns he seems to have a talent for making things worse for Russia."

You are totally correct.

[sergey1973]

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[RDTF]

"Murdered" would be the correct term, not 'executed'.

as long as they don't say that about a terrorist I can live with that.

[Romanov]

That pretty much sums it up. I'd add that the Russian government has also been trying to play the "victim" a bit too much - you know the types, "It's not our fault, but someone else is to blame" - the press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the murder of the diplomats all but blamed the Coalition.

[Ciexyz]

Most distressing news.

[sergey1973]

"If Putin's policy is based on security concerns he seems to have a talent for making things worse for Russia."

Very good analysis ! Putin seems to be driven by the jealousy rather than by sober reality. All his projects, whether it's partnering with China in Shanghai Cooperation Organization or cuddling to Iran or Hamas are driven by the desire to build a counterweight to the United States without thinking what the long term consequences of these policies are. Iran and China have their own geopolitical designs in Central Asia and yes, in Russia too.

For now they play allies, but whenever opportunity comes, China and Iran will start undermining Russian interests in Central Asia. Russia's own North Caucasus is considered a "historical" territory of Islam by the world Jihadists and Iran alongside Saudi Arabia is the leading patron of Jihad International. Actually Ahmadinejad made a statement recently that Iran would allow Chechen/North Caucasus Insurgents to open up training bases on their territory.

Here are a few articles that I found on google reporting that Iran was secretly training Chechen insurgentns.

http://www.command-post.org/oped/2_archives/019798.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/27/wchech27.xml

So with such "allies" as Iran, Russia puts its own security in peril.

[Zhangliqun]

Exactly -- it is NOT always true that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". They are often YOUR enemy too.

[PsyOp]

They still have the Spetnaz ya know....

They mostly work for the Russian Mafia now.

[olde north church]

Per Fox w/Hume, Putin is unleashing Russian Special forces to track down the terrorists and eliminate them.