Withdrawal TALK Damage to US Troops - Afghanistan

BBC News: Reports the following from Afghanistan, " US Army boss: Afghan pullout talk may encourage Taliban ".

Lets Get Real:

The Taliban from their view have already won, they have waited Obama and the US out, if the US leaves a small force in Afghanistan they will become target practice for Al Qaeda and the Taliban, thus another defeat for the West.   The US and its Allies should just get out, there is no way they can defend a new Afghan Government, your in either in or out in Afghanistan, leaving a small force just makes you a target, just ask British Imperial planners of the 19th Century.   When it comes to Afghanistan every great power thinks they are asking new questions, they are not, at the end of the day the British learned ONE lesson, keep out of having a ground presence in Afghanistan, make any threat aware that the Empire will react, either through small units taking action, or later using planes.    Let the Afghan do their internal stuff any way they like, your not going to make it New York.    The Oval should just get out and use drones, make Afghanistan a free fire zone, yes its brutal but it works. 

Russians on the MOVE in East Ukraine? - Ukraine Crisis

Telegraph - Ukraine Live: Reports the following in its 6.08pm post, " Two armoured personnel carriers have been deployed near Russian military installations in Ukraine's second port of Sebastopol as hundreds of protesters rallied in the Crimean Peninsula city...".

Lets Get Real:

The Crimea is really part of Russia, has been since the time of the Tsars, the Crimea was given to the Ukraine in the 1950s in the time of the old USSR.   Thus it can be argued from the viewpoint of Moscow that should they invade or go in to protect their citizens they are doing nothing wrong, of course those parts of West Ukraine that were part of Poland might want to join a Poland this now part of NATO and the EU.   The worse outlook for the Ukraine is that it sees parts of itself go their own way, due to past historical trends.    Thus the new Government in the Kiev needs to get its act together, otherwise it might have external and internal threats to deal with, a crisis can lead to events that are outside the control of various political leaders. 

Hague Trial for former Ukraine President Yanukovych - Ukraine Latest

Guardian: Reports the following from the Ukraine, " Interim government wants fugitive president, believed to be in hiding in Crimea, to be tried over violence that left 82 dead ".

Lets Get Real:

One suspects that Yanukovych is either in Russia now or close to getting out, Putin would not want him opening him mouth to an International Court, one suspects that the former President would blame the deaths in the Ukraine on President Putin, that could cause a crisis in itself between the powers.   The Russians on the PR front have been negative, but they have not taken any military action yet, are they playing the long game, it knows that Obama and the rest of the World Press will lose interest in the long term, with fresh elections coming to the Ukraine the attention of the press will turn to the next crisis, there is always Iran and Syria.   One can suspect that Putin will use his oil money to get a candidate who is not overly hostile to Russia, and a Ukraine in the EU might have long term positives, Putin wants to be a power in the West, and Ukraine might be his decoy in to the EU. 

President Obama and Afghanistan

The White House: Read out of telephone call between President Obama and President Karzai of Afghanistan.    On the future relationship between the US and Afghanistan the President stated the following, " With regard to the Bilateral Security Agreement, in advance of the NATO Defense Ministerial, President Obama told President Karzai that because he has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the BSA, the United States is moving forward with additional contingency planning. Specifically, President Obama has asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the United States not keep any troops in Afghanistan after 2014. At the same time, should we have a BSA and a willing and committed partner in the Afghan government, a limited post-2014 mission focused on training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces and going after the remnants of core Al Qaeda could be in the interests of the United States and Afghanistan. Therefore, we will leave open the possibility of concluding a BSA with Afghanistan later this year.  However, the longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any U.S. mission. Furthermore, the longer we go without a BSA, the more likely it will be that any post-2014 U.S. mission will be smaller in scale and ambition. ".

Lets Get Real:

In the history of powers getting out of Afghanistan, the above statement that the US wants to keep troops in Afghanistan post 2014 must be the most foolish, any force left behind would come under the attack of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, what happens if these two forces are at the gates of Kabul, does the US just leave or does it find itself having to defend the new Government.   Lets hope Karzai gives the US a good reason to leave, otherwise the US will be stuck in Kabul and become target practice for various terrorists groups that will develop in Afghanistan.   The US should rent bases from the Government of Pakistan and just fly drones over Afghanistan, let it become a free fire zone, that will be a clear message, if your a threat your dead, simple and it has a tradition, the British Empire used to send over planes and drop bombs if the locals became a problem, will Obama learn this lesson, one doubts, its always hubris with THE Oval. 

What NOW for the Ukraine - Ukraine Crisis - Great Russia Threat

Guardian: Reports the following from the Ukraine, " Vacuum in Kiev as the presidential palace is vacated and security forces leave the streets ".

Lets Get Real: 

It might be lucky for the Ukraine that the Winter Olympics is on, the Russians can hardly invade the Eastern part of the Ukraine, this would set back Russia to the BAD old days of the Cold War, one just has to hope that President Obama does not dither and comes out in total support of the new Revolution in the Ukraine, Obama has a habit of dithering and being slow to act to events.   If the Ukraine does split the Western part of the Country and those Eastern parts that want to stay with the Ukraine will need financial support and security cover as the Russians will be breathing down their necks from now on, this is a new dawn for the Ukraine, a 2nd chance to gets its split from Russia right, the poor people of Russia has to put with the USSR for decades.  Lets hope the EU and the US are on the ball like Sky News, dithering is not a option, action is needed, time waits for no one, the story is developing in the Kiev, Ukraine. 

A SPLIT of the Ukraine - Ukraine Crisis - Great Russia Threat

BBC News: Reports the following in its 10:21am post, " Ukrainian Russian-language website Versii.com reports that President Yanukovych is planning to resign but is in Kharkiv with senior officials to discuss forming a separate government in the south-east and Crimea. Also considering asking Russia's President Putin to guarantee safety of those regions. He is with the head of his administration Andriy Kluev and ex-PM Mykola Azarov, Versii reports. ".

Lets Get Real:

Thus this blog and others were right, the East or some of aspects of the East could become a separate Country or join with Putin's Russia, THE EU and the US has to be firm with Russia, if this happens then this could lead to a New Cold War, that the West of the Ukraine would come under the security cover of NATO, reading the Ukraine people one can postulate that they want to keep the Ukraine, how will take the break up of the Ukraine, what if those areas closer to the Polish border want to join their former neighbours, this could get tricky very fast, pity Bush 41 is not in the White House, at least Bush 41 was a great diplomat, developing story.  

Note:  This blog is using, #FreeUk, #FreeUkraine. 

Kiev, Ukraine - Latest Part 2

Telegraph - Ukraine Live: Reports the following its 11.15pm post, " It's a little after 1am in Kiev but Vitali Klitschko, the opposition leader, is reportedly at the presidential palace to continue negotiations. ".

Lets Get Real:

Lets hope that the above post leads to 100% truce and real talks, and that Moscow keeps its opinions to itself, it is not wanted, its none of their business who the people of the Ukraine want as their President.   The US/EU has to be firm, it has to support the protesters, it should offer financial support to a new Government of the Ukraine and even give it security cover in case Moscow loses the plot, better to keep Moscow as the borders of the Ukraine and NOT Poland, a NATO member.   If the crisis in the Ukraine goes South, it would make the Wars in Bosnia look like happy hour, thus important that the West reacts and holds the line, no waffle from the US or EU this time.