Posted on 04/26/2014 7:49:38 AM PDT by lodi90
(Reuters) - The United States deployed 150 paratroopers to Lithuania on Saturday, part of efforts by Washington to reassure its eastern European allies, worried by events in Ukraine, that NATO would offer protection if they face Russian aggression.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Pilsudski also had a great 'stache:
:-)
150 guys won’t be able to defend against a massive Soviet tank attack. We have taken hundreds of thousands of troops out of Europe, Germany, etc. since the First Gulf War. We no longer are on the border’s to defend the Fulda Gap. The Soviets now have a short trip across the borders and no massive US Army tanks, troops and US Air Force fighters to defend Western Europe from a Soviet attack. The Cold War ended and we came home. The Soviets have built back up. All that gas and oil money is giving Czar Putin plenty of cash to build back up his military. Russia and the Red Chinese are building up and Czar Obama is cutting US forces back to pre-WWII levels. That means there is no way we have the forces to stop either of them from doing what they want to do.
Yep, and now you even see FReepers heralding this ‘improvement’. Honest to -—, this is a particularly unraveling moment across the board.
Folks will find out what an impotent United States garners the world. It won’t be pretty, but at least some of them will be alive to say I’m sorry.
Tens of millions won’t be.
That’s right, and I am amazed at the people who fail to see what this is going to garner us. I never thought I’d live to see the day when good people would exhibit this level of stupidity.
I recall the Latvian and Lithuanian Labor Service guys in Germany back in the 60..
They were older fellows, some in their 50’s, who told us kids hair raising stories about their adventures on the Ostfront while in German service.
Between here and other sites like Brietbart’s, I have to come to the conclusion that the allure of a “religious” strongman is too much of an attraction. The are a good number of folks that believe the Constitution has been changed and manipulated beyond repair and that there is a need for an autocratic leader who will punish all the traitors and deviants.
I don’t like that at all. A dictator always leaves destruction and chaos if overthrown. By definition he is autocratic and not to be disagreed with. I won’t submit to an autocracy by Obama or a Putin - lite.
Peace through strength - Reagan.
I agree with your take JimSEA.
When a supposed Christian does what Putin is doing, he is not living within God’s word. Putin is a fraud.
Notice how he doubled the price of gas to his adored Russian speaking Ukrainians. What a two face liar the guy is.
Exactly. It is not our monkey. We don’t know enough about it to intervene one way or another.
Yep, unlike Muslims, observant Christians don’t threaten to kill everyone who has a different version of Christianity or other faith. Christianity went through several centuries of that but have seen faith wars for the insanity they are.
I agree JimSEA.
150 guys wont be able to defend against a massive Soviet tank attack. We have taken hundreds of thousands of troops out of Europe, Germany, etc. since the First Gulf War
There isn’t going to be a massive tank attack by Russia right now. The Russian economy is tanking and Putin is in a weak position economically.
The point of this deployment is for the U. S. Army to set up shop in Poland and the former USSR. U. S. Army units deployed on the ground in the FSU is part of the bill Putin will pay for abusing his neighbors.
Notice that this isn’t a unit of mess cooks sent to Lithuania. A U. S. Army airborne infantry company is a credible tripwire and all that is required right now. Other companies will rotate in and gain experience in the region over the next 7 months. I serious doubt Putin wants to risk nuclear war engaging elite U. S. Army troops.
This is all hat and no cattle, and Vlad knows it.
Obama is working for Putin, that is why there has been such a pitifully weak response by the US to date to Russia.
Eastern Ukraine will fold back into Russia with ease in the near future, as the folks there are mostly pro-Russian. Besides, having the eastern part guarantees Russia the ability to possess and to protect all the pipelines heading out of Russia to the west.
Obama and Kerry are merely doing a kabuki dance while Vlad applauds in private.
I am quiet familiar with what goes on in Europe and the Soviets. I spent 10 of my 20 years in the military in Germany. One tour I spent patrolling directly along the old East-West German border. My last tour was with the 3d Armored Division in Frankfurt. It was one of the main division responsible for defending Europe. So, I am familiar with everything that went on then and what goes on now. I sat in many a briefing and spent tons of hours in the field preparing for the Red Hord coming across the border.
PS to your post. Your said “tripwire”. That is exactly what units on the border were. We were THE early warning system if the Soviets came across. We were told our life expectancy was about 8-10 seconds if they decided to come. Just long enough to grab the quick phone to our higher HQ and scream “here they come” and then be blown to pieces by incoming.
bkmk
Don’t know who knows, but the Russians announced the intention to create a base by 2040. Launching landing 1st probe 2016, orbiter 2018, and lander 2019.
Never said that. But Ukraine is lost. Russia is the warmonger here, not the US. Hard to be a warmonger when all US actions are more blather or token troops; meanwhile, Russia has 2-3 divisions wargaming on the Ukraine border. And likely several armies on standby (1 army=100,000 troops plus equipment).
I would rather say, our homosexualist led military, which does appear to me to be the case, for one must suffer disapproval quietly therein, and without notice, which will definitely in many cases undermine one's faith, or be supportive of this "new" military direction, which will advance careers, but at the cost of sacrificing honor, which I would still like to believe at least drove the Officer Corps.
This is especially true of the Service Academies who have very specific Honor Codes: "We will not lie, cheat nor steal, nor tolerate those among us who do."
Do you feel that the writers of these codes then had today's standards in mind? Or were they working from Judeo-Christian motivated truth?
I think, and believe in the later.
Again, I'm sorry for the offense my fumbling use of words may have caused.
This is all hat and no cattle, and Vlad knows it.
Obama is working for Putin, that is why there has been such a pitifully weak response by the US to date to Russia.
Eastern Ukraine will fold back into Russia with ease in the near future, as the folks there are mostly pro-Russian. Besides, having the eastern part guarantees Russia the ability to possess and to protect all the pipelines heading out of Russia to the west.
You have pretty much all your facts wrong. Congratulations.
Less than 40% of E. Ukraine was “pro-russian” according to the polls. That was before the Al Qaeda in Ukraine kidnapping and murdering routine. I see they did more Al Qaeda style hostage videos today. Huge own goal there. Ukrainians are watching this. They don’t wants to be ruled by thugs like this. So Putin is down to 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 who are pro-Russian. Maybe less. That leaves invasion as his only card. The people in E. Ukraine won’t be revolting and ejecting the Kiev govt for him.
The Russian economy is tanking and there is no genuine civilian revolt in E. Ukraine.
Of course Putin is free to invade if he chooses. Then the kenyan is free to pull the plug on Russian access to the banking system. That means no Visa and mastercard in Russia for example. The Russians will then be surviving on cabbage rolls and farmers cheese for the next decade. For entertainment they can watch NATO troops digging in in the FSU.
It will be fail all around for Team KGB if they choose to invade E. Ukraine.
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