Posted on 07/28/2014 2:04:11 PM PDT by No One Special
The NYT ran a long article yesterday describing the administration’s Hamlet-like agonizing over whether to provide Ukraine with real time intelligence useful for targeting rebel forces. (For the record, I called for this in the immediate aftermath of the flight of Yanukovych. It should be an easy decision.)
One part jumped out at me:
“We’ve been cautious to date about things that could directly hit Russia — principally its territory,” but also its equipment, the official said. A proposal to give the Ukrainians real-time information “hasn’t gotten to the president yet,” the official said, in part because the White House has been focused on rallying support among European allies for more stringent economic sanctions against Moscow, and on gaining access for investigators to the Malaysia Airlines crash site.
There in a nutshell is the passivity of this president, and his negation of executive leadership.
An active and engaged leader would not be waiting for things to reach him. He would be demanding that a full range of options be presented to him immediately, if not sooner. This situation has been metastasizing for months. What’s more, in the aftermath of the MH17 atrocity, and the rebels’ ongoing use of artillery and MLRS systems against civilian targets, the suppression of their weapons systems is both a military and humanitarian imperative. The time for action passed long ago, but it is incomprehensible that 10 days after MH17 that Obama has personally avoided considering, let alone ordering, a reasonable, measured US action that would materially assist Ukraine to defend itself, and which would not put one US serviceman or woman at risk.
Also look at the excuse: he’s focused on the diplomatic channel. This is particularly rich a week after Obama flacks in the administration and media responded to criticisms about his fundraiser-dominated schedule by saying that he can multi-task. So, he can’t simultaneously push the Europeans and evaluate steps to aid the Ukrainian government? What happened to that vaunted multi-tasking capability?
Further, military and diplomatic measures are complementary, and need to be processed in parallel rather than serially.
Another thing that stands out in the article is the hand-wringing about “provoking Russia”:
“The debate is over how much to help Ukraine without provoking Russia,” said a senior official participating in the American discussions.
Look. To Putin, anything short of outright capitulation by Ukraine, and the complete abandonment of Ukraine by the US and the EU is a provocation. Let’s not forget what “provoked” this crisis in the first place: Ukraine’s temerity in moving to sign a trade deal with the EU. Continued Ukrainian resistance is all the provocation Putin needs. Anything the US or EU does will have the merest of effects on Putin’s insatiable desire to subjugate Ukraine.
That’s not quite true, actually. Continued passivity, and waiting for the USPS to deliver military options to POTUS, encourages Putin’s aggressiveness. Weakness and passivity are extremely provocative to Putin.
As to another objection-that disloyal individuals in the Ukrainian leadership will provide the information to Russia: this is a non-issue. Yes, such leaks could undermine the effectiveness of the intelligence, by permitting the rebels to move to avoid a strike. But if they are moving, they aren’t shooting. What’s more, given the realities of communication, it is highly unlikely that truly real-time information useful for targeting could make it to the rebels before it reached the Ukrainian air or artillery units tasked to strike them. Further, attempts by disloyal elements to communicate with the rebels could actually facilitate their discovery, especially if the information is tightly compartmentalized.
As for the Ukrainians getting to rambunctious if they have better information, the US has the option to cut off the information at any time, and to place conditions on its use. If anything, provision of this intelligence will focus Ukrainian military efforts leading to less risk of misguided strikes on civilians or Russia.
In sum, this should be about as easy a decision as a commander in chief should have to make. But because he has clearly signaled that he wants to distance himself from serious involvement with the Ukrainian military efforts against insurrectionists, subordinates and bureaucrats are consciously choosing not to present him with the options that a real leader would be demanding from them.
Voting “present”(on the links) again???
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. Rush
Obama is always one tee ahead of those with the proposals.
-PJ
Is there ANY ally he hasn’t pissed off yet?
The decision to trust Ukraine with real time intelligence is not an easy one to make given there is no indication the Ukrainian military is competent to act on the intelligence in an ethical or timely fashion, and that the information would likely get passed along to Moscow anyhow.
An easier decision to a more immediate problem is whether to order airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.
Obama always likes to do nothing and let things seethe for awhile.
He enjoys chaos.
Its true...look at Libya
So much is out of control right now. Frankly, I am sick of it.
There isn’t one country he hasn’t messed up or started trouble with. Mostly ours.
Of course this Obama BS is not reported on the news.
I believe Obama says things like this to personally irritate and poke a stick in our eye. He enjoys it because he can say it with no repercussions.
And now, he is getting us involved again. I predict another disaster to add to the others.
So much is out of control right now. Frankly, I am sick of it.
There isn’t one country he hasn’t messed up or started trouble with. Mostly ours.
Of course this Obama BS is not reported on the news.
I believe Obama says things like this to personally irritate and poke a stick in our eye. He enjoys it because he can say it with no repercussions.
And now, he is getting us involved again. I predict another disaster to add to the others.
Pardon my mess up if you have trouble understanding that post. I took a phone call and forgot where I was at;)
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