It is you who does not understand. I know "the story" well enough -- but the sort of things you continue to harp upon are still not enough for me to in knee-jerk response, back the Russians.
Other stuff, like:
is so messed up. The reality was war being waged on Islamic militants, both in Chechnya and in drone attacks in Pakistan.
But nice way to go muddying the waters there, backwards boy.
Though it matters only little (if any) now, before G.W. Bush sent U.S. troops into Afghanistan, I wrote him a letter, begging him to not do it. Ha! like it would have mattered, but I wrote it anyway, keeping it short, focusing on how in the end, it would engender more hatreds than it would remove.
I could have gone into how the Clinton Admin had totally ignored Afghanistan after the Soviets had pulled out -- and how we (the US) were probably on the wrong side of things in helping the "mujahedin" previous to that...
But why did we oppose Russian efforts there? Was it--our own fears that they would be able to force compliance in Afghanistan enough to link up with Pakistan --and get the warm water port they had always been seeking, while gaining ground and [Pakistani or Iranian] allies to eventually war on the U.S.? Like I said...fears. But not entirely unfounded, perhaps. The cold war was still on, and the Soviet Union had yet to fall...
I considered telling G.W. we should have first apologized to the Russians (Russians at that time -- no longer necessarily 'Soviet') for "Charlie Wilson's war" which helped lead to the deaths of many Russian soldiers (even though they, the Russians went there to make war, on their own, in the first place) --- then after honest and forthright assessment of Islamic extremist threats to civilization in general, including themselves, invite them to help us clean the place out, and subdue it once and for all.
But that would have sounded bizarre at the time. How strange does it sound now, in hindsight -- that is if one could get around other considerations that could pop up in this idea of having re-invited the former Soviets back to Afghanistan about ten years ago -- for we would have been setting stage for what we previously thought we didn't want, and would need to trust that an Islamic card would not be played against us, in the future.
What did we end up attempting as "mission" in Afghanistan, but to subdue the basest instincts there among Islamists who seek nothing other than world-wide Sharia Law, and will continue to harbor, breed, and give refuge for the sort of "world" Islamists who --- if they can get their hands on nuclear weapons, will likely use those against population centers anywhere in the world, including the U.S.?
Moscow is not immune from Islamic crazy-threat, but they have to play their own game of survival as best as they can see too -- which I certainly hope does not end up with any thinking along lines that they and the world would be better off without the United States. YOU seem to keep going that direction, though.
And you tell me I need 'understand it better'? while showing me info going into the morality/immorality of targeted killings of non-State combatants?
OH REALLY?!?
You wrote GWB a letter ?
Are you close enough to him that he would seriously read it and be influenced by it ? (then you’re at least a fairly powerful political influencer or operative, so buh-bye)
Are you NOT close enough to him that he would seriously read it and be influenced by it ? (that’s rather pathetic as you’re wasting your time putting letters in the national “suggestion box” which probably just lands you on the Secret Service watch list for nutcases thinking they are an “advisor to the President” in their own minds; it brings to mind the funny routine where Archie Bunker is writing to Nixon)
I’ll give you a way to save face, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that perhaps you mispoke, or it was when you were young and naive, ___fill in the blank___, etc.
Since you keep accusing me of supporting the Russians or being a Russian operative in nearly every post you make (and you have blamed at least one other longtime FReeper of being on the side of the Russians)...
and I keep repeating that I am against Russia controlling Ukraine
and you keep ignoring those words and again accusing me of supporting Russia controlling Ukraine
I think we’ve just about wrapped up this thread.
I’ll go “write my report” to Putin /LOL do I have to SARC that...
Medved, I will transmit to Vladimir...
and you can go “write your report” to NWO/Bushes/Clintons/CIA/NSA.
Dear Mr. President, Your Honor, Sir:
A. Bunker here...