[Sixstrings]

Chairman Of Joint Chiefs: US Ready For "Military Response" In Ukraine

With diplomacy having failed miserably to resolve the Russian annexation of Crimea, and soon East Ukraine (and with John Kerry in charge of it, was there ever any doubt), the US is moving to the heavy artillery.

First, moments ago, the US DOE announced in a shocking announcement that it would proceed with the first draw down and sale of crude from the US strategic petroleum reserve, the first since June 2011, in what it said was a "test sale to check the operational capabilities of system infrastructure", but is really just a shot across the bow at Putin for whom high commodity prices are orders of magnitude more important than how the Russian stock market performs.

And now, as Bloomberg just reported, the US has escalated even further, citing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, who "has claimed that in the case of an escalation of unrest in Crimea, the U.S. Army is ready to back up Ukraine and its allies in Europe with military actions."

So much for those peaceful hour long phone calls between Obama and Putin.

From Bloomberg:

According to the Web site of the Atlantic Council, Dempsey said that "he's been talking to his military counterparts in Russia, but he's also sending a clear message to Ukraine and members of NATO that the U.S. military will respond militarily if necessary."

"We're trying to tell [Russia] not to escalate this thing further into Eastern Ukraine, and allow the conditions to be set for some kind of resolution in Crimea. We do have treaty obligations with our NATO allies. And I have assured them that if that treaty obligation is triggered [in Europe], we would respond," Dempsey said.

According to the General, the incursion of Russian troops into the Crimea creates risks for all the countries of Europe and NATO allies.

"If Russia is allowed to do this, which is to say move into a sovereign country under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians in Ukraine, it exposes Eastern Europe to some significant risk, because there are ethnic enclaves all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans," Dempsey said.
And with that, the USDJPY ramp takes the pair to overnight highs, and futures are set to go green. BTFWWIIID!

More seriously, the real question is how Putin will react to this quantum escalation in verbal hostilities: wild guess here, but somehow we doubt he will pick up and leave.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-12/chairman-joint-chiefs-staff-us-ready-military-response-ukraine

[Plantagenet]

We do have treaty obligations with our NATO allies. And I have assured them that if that treaty obligation is triggered [in Europe], we would respond," Dempsey said.

We also had a treaty obligation to defend Ukraine's territorial integrity. Or so Bill Clinton said when the US entered into the treaty.

But NATO is probably more important to the US, so the NATO treaty is more important than the US-UK-Ukraine-Russia was.


NATO

[Timo]

Look at Merkel's role in all of this. She's spent countless hours more than Obama on the phone talking to Putin. She speaks fluent Russian, and she hails from the former East Germany. Germany DOES NOT WANT A RETURN TO AN EAST V WEST COLD WAR! Or even an actual ground war, for that matter. Germany is Europe's largest and strongest economy, and she is expected by the EU to lead the way in negitiations for a peaceful resulution to this whole endeavor. She's also been recently quoted as saying that Putin is basically off his rocker, and he will not listen to anyone or make any attempts to de-escalate what he's started. He's really only concerned with the continued flow of oil and gas, and is using that as a weapon to get his way, as long as he can. The stakes are higher now, though, because his oil and gas reserves are starting to dwindle, and Europe has begun to wean itself from coal and nuclear, making Russian NG much more essential for the rest of Europe. He honestly thinks he can dictate his way to annexation of the former Soviet states because everyone needs what he has: natural gas.

This whole crisis has peak fossil fuel written all over it, as as the fuels become harder to get, and more expensive with diminishing returns, these types of crises will become much, much more frequent. Anyone who thinks American energy policy can greatly influence delusions of granduer on the other side of the planet is just as delusional. Delaying the inevitable end of the fossil fuel era is no answer to any problem, at all.

[Sixstrings]

Oh, this is rich, they can't even do an honest referendum in Crimea! Incredible.

Crimea Vote Doesn't Offer 'No' Option For Joining Russia

According to a format of the ballot paper, published on the parliament's website, the first question will ask: "Are you in favour of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?"

The second asks: "Are you in favour of restoring the 1992 Constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?"

At first glance, the second option seems to offer the prospects of the peninsula remaining within Ukraine.

But the 1992 national blueprint - which was adopted soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union and then quickly abolished by the young post-Soviet Ukrainian state - is far from doing that.

This foresees giving Crimea all the qualities of an independent entity within Ukraine - but with the broad right to determine its own path and choose relations with whom it wants - including Russia.

With the pro-Russian assembly already saying it wants to return Crimea to Russia, this second option only offers a slightly longer route to shifting the peninsula back under Russian control, analysts say.

The option of asking people if they wish to stick with the status quo - in which Crimea enjoys autonomy but remains part of Ukraine - is not on offer.

Any mark in one of the boxes is regarded as a "Da" vote. Ballot papers will be regarded as spoiled if a voter fills in both boxes or indeed does not fill in either.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/crimea-vote-join-russia-ballot-no-option_n_4947557.html

[ROCKMAN]

First: “…but is really just a shot across the bow at Putin for whom high commodity prices”. OK but the law does not allow SPR oil to be sold below recent market value. It can also only be sold in a limited volume for 30 days and the entire world knows that. So any release would not trigger a global collapse of oil prices IMHO. After all it never has in past releases.

“…the U.S. Army is ready to back up Ukraine and its allies in Europe with military actions." Well that sounds like pretty good motivation for Putin to move his troops into the Ukraine ASAP since it would be magnitudes more difficult for US/NATO forces to move into an already occupied area. Add that to the Ukrainian threat of rearming themselves with nukes I can easily imagine a full blown deployment of a massive surge of Russian troops into the Ukraine. It reminds me of a line from an old action movie: ”Don’t stand there and take time telling the SOB why you’re going to shoot him…just shut up and kill his ass.” Sounds like our military geniuses are telling to Putin to shut up and just take their Ukrainian asses. LOL.

And then there this: “…"If Russia is allowed to do this, which is to say move into a sovereign country under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians in Ukraine”. So that’s different than the US move into the sovereign nation of Iraq under the guise of exporting freedom? And certainly very different than when the Russian moved into the sovereign nation of Afghanistan in the guise of protecting their allies? And I guess that’s different than the US move into the sovereign nation of Somalia because…I forget…what was the reason? And it must be very different than the US flying drone missions over the protest of the sovereign nation of Pakistan under the guise of nation security.

Maybe just easier to post a list. Let’s just stick to this century:
2014 invasion of Crimea, by Russia
2011 invasions of South Sudan, by Sudan
2008 invasion of Gaza, by Israel
2008 invasion of Georgia by Russia
2008 invasion of Anjouan by the African Union
2006 invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia
2006 invasion of Lebanon by Israel
2006 Ugandan invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Second Congo War
2003 Rwandan invasion Democratic Republic of the Congo
2003 invasion of Iraq by United States-led coalition
2001 invasion of Afghanistan by United States-led coalition

[Plantagenet]

Germany DOES NOT WANT A RETURN TO AN EAST V WEST COLD WAR!

Too late now. Putin already restarted it.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine has scared the heck out of the Poles---they've invoked section 5 of the NATO treaty, and the US has sent F-15 squadrons to Poland already. The Estonians and other Baltic states are scared too---they have sizable ethnic Russian populations----and now Putin claims the unilateral right to invade countries to "protect" the ethnic Russians from imaginary persecution. Even Germany has millions of people who are ethnic Russians or speak Russian. Who knows....maybe someday Putin will feel an urge to invade Germany to save all the Russian speakers there from the "nazis".

We are now in Cold War II.

[Cottager]

So we have to deal with an ape with a nuclear grenade. Nice one. I always wondered - why there are no aliens around, no travel destinations to other stars. Now I see. All species like long pigs destroying themselves, so be it

[Pops]

Chairman Of Joint Chiefs: US Ready For "Military Response" In Ukraine

What's he supposed to say? We're not ready?

[Pops]

P.S.
5(?) active threads regarding Ukraine is probably enough for now.

[rollin]

"If Russia is allowed to do this, which is to say move into a sovereign country under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians in Ukraine, it exposes Eastern Europe to some significant risk, because there are ethnic enclaves all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans," Dempsey said.

Didn't the US invade and take over a sovereign country on the word of one liar?

On the lighter side, aren't their some ethnic Russians living in the US?

[Sixstrings]

"If Russia is allowed to do this, which is to say move into a sovereign country under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians in Ukraine, it exposes Eastern Europe to some significant risk, because there are ethnic enclaves all over Eastern Europe and the Balkans," Dempsey said.

Didn't the US invade and take over a sovereign country on the word of one liar?

What the general is talking about is the Hitler "sudetenland" "we must protect our ethnic countrymen" guise to invade and annex nations. We've seen Russia do this twice now: Georgia, which was stopped by George Bush, and now Ukraine which so far Obama has not been able to stop.

If the general is right, and that Putin has ambitions to retake eastern eruo nations like Lithuania or the Baltics, then Georgia and now Ukraine are direct threats to NATO security and that could trigger the treaty obligation.

That's what he's saying.. carefully.. that if Russians escalate into east ukraine then NATO may have to respond to that, militarily. This has nothing to do with Iraq, the whole point of NATO is to protect the member states from invasion and annexation by Russia, which is the direct threat Putin's "annexation to protect ethnic Russians" policy constitutes.

And by the way I don't want to see WWIII.. I want to see that happy ending where the US president gets tough and rattles sabres right back at the Russians, then they blink and make a compromise. And Ukraine gets to be free and keep their democracy, maybe just Crimea goes to Russia. And that's exactly what the general has said -- that Russia needs to stop where they are in crimea, go no further, and work something out about Crimea. And NATO may respond, if they go further than Crimea.

Just like WWII.. this will become WWIII if Putin goes after something bigger next, and does this for a 3rd time in a row -- like NATO Poland, or Lithuania, or the Baltics. Maybe one of the 'stans out east. We'll see.

On the lighter side, aren't their some ethnic Russians living in the US?

Yes. 300,000 in just Brooklyn alone.

[radon1]

About Hitler

[Peak_Yeast]

I dont know the relevance..

But the danish media are saying that the US releases its ENORMEOUS oil reserves to prevent Russian economy to strengthen from rising oil prices.

They say that this is to prevent Russia from investing too much in a military effort...

Newsarticle (in danish):
http://epn.dk/investor/olie/ECE6555938/ ... -pa-olien/

To me it sounds like BS. - But what is the opinion of our local collection of wise people on this site?

Another idea that has been touted is that the embargo against export of russian gas to europe is for the US to be able to earn more money from its surplus of gas that is currently selling at a too low price for profit.

[Lore]

There is also a contingency plan by the Joint Chiefs to thwart an extraterrestrial invasion.

Crimea is lost. Not much will, or can be done about it. As for the Ukraine, Putin would choke on trying to take it over. That's not in his plan. He just wants more influence over it.

[radon1]

move into a sovereign country under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians in Ukraine

This is the official western MSM meme. By contrast, according to Putin himself, there is nothing exclusive about ethnical Russians:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.inf ... e37889.htm

What can serve as a reason to use the Armed Forces? Such a measure would certainly be the very last resort.

First, the issue of legitimacy. As you may know, we have a direct appeal from the incumbent and, as I said, legitimate President of Ukraine, Mr Yanukovych, asking us to use the Armed Forces to protect the lives, freedom and health of the citizens of Ukraine.

What is our biggest concern? We see the rampage of reactionary forces, nationalist and anti-Semitic forces going on in certain parts of Ukraine, including Kiev.
...
And do you know what happened when they seized the Party of Regions building? There were no party members there at all at the time. Some two-three employees came out, one was an engineer, and he said to the attackers: “Could you let us go, and let the women out, please. I’m an engineer, I have nothing to do with politics.” He was shot right there in front of the crowd. Another employee was led to a cellar and then they threw Molotov cocktails at him and burned him alive. Is this also a manifestation of democracy?

When we see this we understand what worries the citizens of Ukraine, both Russian and Ukrainian, and the Russian-speaking population in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. It is this uncontrolled crime that worries them. Therefore, if we see such uncontrolled crime spreading to the eastern regions of the country, and if the people ask us for help, while we already have the official request from the legitimate President, we retain the right to use all available means to protect those people. We believe this would be absolutely legitimate. This is our last resort.

[Subjectivist]

The US joint command can't say anything else but anyone who believes in peak oil will recognize it is just talk talk talk.

[Sixstrings]

I dont know the relevance..

But the danish media are saying that the US releases its ENORMEOUS oil reserves to prevent Russian economy to strengthen from rising oil prices.

Yup. That's a direct sanction on Russia, to hit them where it hurts and lower the price they get for their oil. US could probably coax the arab states to boost output as well.

Another idea that has been touted is that the embargo against export of russian gas to europe is for the US to be able to earn more money from its surplus of gas that is currently selling at a too low price for profit.

There's no embargo of Russian gas to Europe, it's Russia that uses threats to shut the gas off to force you to agree with their annexation policy.

There's no huge conspiracy in the US to bring the world to the brink of WWIII just so we can sell more nat gas. Oil companies aren't that powerful, nor cunning, that's just tinfoil thinking. *And besides let us not forget here which nation's army has invaded and is now annexing a chunk out of another nation.* This isn't even the West's fault, it's Ukraine that jumped into our laps we can't help that.

Be glad the US and other options are there though, in case you lose Russian gas. And I can tell you one thing -- an American private multinational gas company would just be in business to sell Danes gas without any politics involved, and never bully and threaten to turn the taps off. An American business is no different than a Danish business, we're Western, business just wants to sell gas and make money.

Gazprom is state owned Russian gas, and a foreign policy tool of the Russian state. This is fact. This has been going on a long time now, "threats to shut off the gas," well here it is now at Denmark's door and it's not just Poland anymore.

[Plantagenet]

And do you know what happened when they seized the Party of Regions building? There were no party members there at all at the time. Some two-three employees came out, one was an engineer, and he said to the attackers: “Could you let us go, and let the women out, please. I’m an engineer, I have nothing to do with politics.” He was shot right there in front of the crowd. Another employee was led to a cellar and then they threw Molotov cocktails at him and burned him alive. Is this also a manifestation of democracy?

No, its a manifestation of Russian propaganda.

---------------------------------------------------

[Whitefang]

Too late now. Putin already restarted it.

No way,

How about those long wars on/off drugs and terror? Bosnia 1992 for starters, western influence going Middle East.
After all those petty schemes we west gotten ME and most of Africa's, America and down under resources,
The only opponent is Shanghai, China/Russia/Stans/Syria and Iran/Pakistan.
Our management is all ears for war, including the Americand and European peoples. CWW, civil worldwide war.

They are in a hurry, fully aware of the CC disaster now unfolding.
They love prepping the wrong way, out of fear/greed of things ending, no more BAU.
Petty little tyrants.

Putin is beyond doubt a genocidal idiot, but at least open about it, his gang did false flag operations, bombing people in appartments.......like our management did big time 9/11 and so much more other dates, daily bussiness of joint chiefs barking out loud.
Putin drew a line at the Ukraine/Syria and Kaukasus, China will defend East Asia, we got Taiwan/Japan and the rest. A corrupt society with very corrupt powers that be opposames.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the organization was drawn into the breakup of Yugoslavia, and conducted its first military interventions in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 and later Yugoslavia in 1999. Politically, the organization sought better relations with former Warsaw Pact countries, several of which joined the alliance in 1999 and 2004.

Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty, requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack, was invoked for the first and only time after the 11 September 2001 attacks,[5] after which troops were deployed to Afghanistan under the NATO-led ISAF. The organization has operated a range of additional roles since then, including sending trainers to Iraq, assisting in counter-piracy operations[6] and in 2011 enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973. The less potent Article 4, which merely invokes consultation among NATO members, has been invoked four times: by Turkey in 2003 over the Iraq War, twice in 2012 by Turkey over the Syrian Civil War after the downing of an unarmed Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet and after a mortar was fired at Turkey from Syria[7] and by Poland in 2014 following the Russian intervention in Crimea.[8]

[Plantagenet]

Russia is in violation of international law. The US isn't.

The situations are entirely different.