Posted on 04/08/2014 5:19:38 PM PDT by kristinn
American spies have spotted all the signs of an all-out Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why won’t they tell the Ukrainians about the forces on their border?
U.S. intelligence agencies now have detailed information that Russia has amassed the kind of forces needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the Obama administration hasn’t shared with Ukraine the imagery, intercepts, and analysis that pinpont (sic) the location of the Russian troops ready to seize more Ukrainian land, The Daily Beast has learned.
President Obama has repeatedly and publicly expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people—and warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin that there will be consequences if he takes over any more Ukrainian territory. Yet Obama’s administration has so far been reluctant to hand over the kind of intelligence the Ukrainians could use to defend themselves. U.S. officials and members of Congress briefed on the crisis in Ukraine tell The Daily Beast that senior U.S. military officers have been instructed to refrain from briefing their Ukrainian counterparts in detail about what the United States knows about the Russians troops amassing on the border.
SNIP
And while any decision about an invasion is Putin’s alone, the signs are mounting that an invasion is near. Congressional staffers briefed on the matter say U.S. intelligence agencies have detected the supply lines needed for an invasion. Battlefield hospitals and mobile medical units have accompanied the infantrymen, tank columns and artillery units amassing at the border as well. When Russia announced military exercises near Ukraine in February, the U.S. intelligence community did not see such supply lines or medical units.
SNIP
The current estimate is that Russia has amassed 80,000 troops on Ukraine’s border. Vice Admiral Frank Pandolfe, the director for strategic plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that the Russian forces include fixed and rotor wing aircraft, tanks, artillery, light infantry and special operations forces. Pandolfe said the Russian military has the ability to deploy these different units in a “synchronized manner.”
Whatever is shared with Ukraine will very soon be in the hands of the Russians and we don't want to divulge our full capabilities.
Perhaps we are all just finding out what Obama meant when he wanted his message relayed to Putin that he “could be more flexible after the election.”
Sounding like it’s about to get real. Assuming it’s true, I couldn’t imagine the Russians deploying military field hospitals for no good reason.
Russia’s spies would find out anyway. Its not like its a state secret. Do we want to help them or not? If its too risky, we have no business giving Ukraine false hopes we’ll come to their rescue because its already obvious we won’t.
“Whatever is shared with Ukraine will very soon be in the hands of the Russians and we don’t want to divulge our full capabilities. “
They can buy up-to-the-minute satellite photos from the French.
Ukraine invasion ping.
Yup. And the Russians see the same things we do.
Our excuse is pathetic because we’re really of two minds about Ukraine, not that the GRU won’t inform the Kremlin about what we know anyway.
By withholding information, we’re just communicating to the Russians we’re not going to do a damned thing to stop them. But they know that already.
flexibility == duplicity
it’s a tax / it’s not a tax
says what people want to hear to prevent revolt/removal, but still does the opposite and nobody stops him
effing antichrist muslim bastard.
Zero is taking notes on how Putin goes about all this.
Watch out, Canada!
May history show that WWIII started in the Crimea because 0bama wasn't "flexible" enough according to Putin.
0bama is not a weak leader, he is not a leader, period.
5.56mm
Nor should we. Not only do we have no essential interests there, they won't even fight themselves.
Why spill our blood and treasure for a country that won't expend their own?
That would be downright silly.
The real message is that the Obama administration is making the world safe for Putin's return to a renewed Russian Soviet Union. My fear is that Obama may want to have the USA join that union as the "US Socialist Republic" (USSR).
As if, in a moment of flexibility, the Obama regime hasn't already shared that with Russia...
Yeah we did that to the Iraqi’s once before. We all know how that turned out.
As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B. Baer to the Joint Meeting of the Forum for Security Cooperation and the Permanent Council, Vienna
April 7, 2014
Mr. Chairperson:
On March 28th, we asked Russia for details regarding its ongoing military activities along its border with Ukraine. Specifically, we would like to know:
1) What is the purpose and anticipated duration of these activities?
2) What is the composition and strength of the Russian military forces involved in these activities?
3) To which units and formations do these deployed forces belong?
Based on the number, types of units, and deployed locations of the Russian forces in the southern and western military districts, which border eastern and northern Ukraine, this deployed force has a character that appears designed to intimidate and/or conduct short-notice, sustained, offensive military operations into Ukraine. More broadly, Russia's occupation of the Crimean region undermines the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. We urge Russia to reduce its troops to pre-crisis numbers and positions.
The buildup in Russia's Rostov and Belgorod regions opposite the Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv, as well as the deployment of forces near Klimovo, barely 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, is substantial. The scope of the forces includes not only ground forces, but also forward-deployed air power, providing quick-strike capability and air support to potential ground operations.
Colleagues, maintaining a large concentration of troops in the field at a time when conscripts are normally scheduled to leave service further suggests that this is not an exercise. NATO military authorities have noted that the Russia force is “sized and outfitted and provisioned with everything that it needs to have an incursion into Ukraine.” We have consistently urged the Russian Federation to take steps to de-escalate. The number of Russian troops massed in this area close to the border with Ukraine is clearly aimed at threatening and intimidating, and is therefore an ongoing escalation.
SNIP
"There are reports on social media this morning about how “pro-Russian residents” of Kharkiv stormed the Opera, thinking that it was the town hall, and demanded that the mayor come out. It's very surprising that these so-called “residents” of Kharkiv would think that the Opera was the town hall."
Pssst. Wait until after the election. Then I can do something.
so what? we shouldn’t share intelligence with anyone except long term allies and Ukraine doesn’t fall into that category.
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