World View: Russia Contemplates Military Action in Ukraine After Sochi

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com:

• Russia contemplates Ukraine military action after Sochi
• Pakistan government mediators talk to Taliban mediators

Russia contemplates Ukraine military action after Sochi

Some Russian nationalists in Moscow are discussing a possible militaryannexation of Ukraine once the Sochi Olympics games have ended. It’sbecoming increasingly common to refer to the anti-governmentprotesters as “fascists” or “Nazis.” In the case of some groups, thischaracterization is not far from the truth. One anti-governmentactivist, Dmitry Yarosh, is a follower of Stepan Bandera, who helpedHitler’s army evict the Red Army from Ukraine during the Nazi invasionof the Soviet Union in 1941. 

The question of military intervention isbeing actively discussed during prime time on Russian state TVchannels. A former adviser to Russian president Vladimir Putin,political scientist Andrey Illarionov, is frequently heard discussingpreparations for a military invasion:

Ukraine is a failed state, and the historic chancefor reunification of all the Russian lands can be lost in the nextcouple of weeks, so we mustn’t put off the solution to theUkrainian Question.

The phrase “the solution to the Ukrainian Question” is not anaccident, but is an echo of Hitler’s “the solution to the Jewishquestion,” and is accompanied by threats to send Ukrainian protestersto a “frosty minus-60 degree resort” in Siberia. The 2008 Russianinvasion of Georgia, followed by the annexation of two Georgianprovinces, is being discussed as a model. The scenarios beingconsidered for Ukraine range from annexation of the entire country, whichis considered to be unrealistic, to full control of Russian-speakingeastern Ukraine, especially the Crimea and Sevastopol. Voice of Russia and Daily Beast and Voice of Russia

Pakistan government mediators talk to Taliban mediators

The “historic” negotiations to end the terrorist attacks in Pakistanfinally began on Thursday. The Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban -TTP) sent three negotiators, and the government sent four negotiatorsto a meeting in Islamabad to talk. Nothing that’s decided would bebinding on anyone. Even if something were decided, the TTP ismerely an umbrella group under which some 40-50 autonomous extremistorganizations operate.

The TTP has said that terrorist attacks will continue during thethe last few years, so I guess they believe that a few hundred orthousand more won’t matter.

The TTP is demanding that Pakistan adopt “Sharia law,” which has verydifferent meanings to different Muslim groups. The jihadists say thatwant the strictest Wahhabi form, which they believe apparently givesthem the right to inflict suicide bombings on Shia Muslim mosques andschools, as well as Sufis.

So, the “Pakistan peace process,” like the “Israeli-Palestinian peaceprocess” and the “Syria peace process,” is just another game for show.Daily Times (Pakistan) and Business Recorder (Pakistan)

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