[familyop]

"We know that the US is providing real time intelligence to the Ukrainians to target Russian forces using our satellite imagery and signal info."

Good.

"Our Special Forces are operating and maintaining equipment to provide the Intel."

Doubtful, but the world doesn't need to know who is operating satellite or other communications equipment pertinent to the war in Ukraine.

"You are naive if you believe the US presence is just training Ukrainians."

That "US presence" isn't training Ukrainians on Ukrainian soil. That "US presence" has been here, in Germany and other countries along with instructors in those allied countries.

If even if that was happening, the Russians trained commies in North Korea and Vietnam right in those countries. The only reason I'm against our soldiers training Ukrainian soldiers on their own soil, is that there's no need to risk our soldiers to train them.

"My experience as a foreign service officer for 28 years and 8 years as a naval officer inform my opinions."

A Navy officer and former employee of the State Dept., USAID or whatever. You should know better than to do what you're doing here. Putin is not our friend and has repeatedly threatened to destroy us.

On matters involving foreign enemies, I'm loyal to the United States, whether the president is more like Biden or more like Nixon. Remember Hanoi Jane? Like the members of Code Pink, she would do her dirty deeds during any kind of executive administration.

[kabar]

I served a year in-country in Vietnam 1967-68, including during Tet, and another 8 months off the coast 1966-67. Yes, the Soviet Union and the PRC were actively supporting North Vietnam including sending weapons, advisers, flying combat aircraft, and manning anti-aircraft batteries.

We paid them back in Afghanistan by supporting the opposition, mostly Afghans and other Islamic volunteers, most notably Osama bin Laden. The blowback was 9/11 and our 20 year involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran provided weapons and funding to the opposition. I was in Riyadh and Dhahran during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

In retrospect, I have doubts about the degree to which we were involved in these conflicts. Were the costs in blood and treasure worth it? We now know that our leaders lied to us about many things. The Domino Theory, the justification for Vietnam, turned out to be a crock. Mission creep in Afghanistan was a clear mistake. Is Iraq better off today? Did Jimmy Carter’s human rights policies and his greasing the skids for the removal of the Shah sow the seeds for militant Islamic fundamentalism? We are living with the consequences today.

Given its historical, cultural, and linguistic ties to Ukraine along with a 1,500 mile border, Russia cannot afford to lose in Ukraine. For example, any serious attempt to take Crimea would be viewed as an attack against Russia itself. Escalation, including tactical nuclear weapons is a distinct possibility. We have no treaty obligations to defend Ukraine. We really don’t have the money to arm and rebuild Ukraine. What is the end game? Russia doesn’t have the conventional military forces to invade and occupy Europe, which has a total population and GDP equal to the US. Why are we footing the lion’s share of the costs?

As someone who has put his life and limb on the line a number of times on behalf of this country, it is an insult to question my loyalty. Just because I don’t support our involvement in this proxy war, doesn’t mean I defend Putin’s actions. He is a former KGB thug. My sole interest is what is best for the US.