EndlessWire
EndlessWire's JournalThe Security Council will meet
tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET to discuss the Bucha atrocity.
The UN Permanent Representative for the Russian Federation, Vasily Nebenzya, held a press conference today instead of the "emergency" meeting he was denied.
He was pretty furious over getting denied an immediate meeting at the UNSC over Bucha. He used words like "unbelievable, shameful, unprecedented, unthinkable, abusive, condescending, undermining, disgraceful, staining, demonstration of weakness, Western-backed provocation" to characterize the denial of his request.
Apparently, the UK is now presiding over the Council, and Barbara Woodward, the Permanent Representative who now holds that chair, decided that the Security Council wanted a "more informed meeting or briefing," and that this matter "was not really an emergency," and also that there was "no reason for the emergency meeting." LOL. Russia had a tantrum over it.
All the expected lies poured forth at this presser. Russia is using lies as truth. They feel that because they say so, it must be the truth. There is that old joke about, We know it's a lie because his lips are moving.
A reporter asked a question, and revealed that the US is pursuing suspension of Russia from the Human Rights Council of the UN. She asked what did he think about that, and he responded that the Human Rights Council wasn't their (cup of tea.) Oh, really...
Their proof consists of really superficial details that have no smoking gun quality to them. They want to use videos of jubilant soldiers and civilians to say that there was no evidence of atrocities in the immediate aftermath of Russia getting kicked out of Kiev. He claimed the bodies on the streets had no signs of decomposition, so they must be staged. etc. etc. etc. He promised even more evidence at tomorrow's UNSC meeting.
But, I think he shot himself in the foot. He went that "bridge too far." He ranted on about how Russian soldiers would ask if they could shoot someone, and they were told, "Of course." He said that the citizens were wearing stripes (I think he meant arm bands) which color coded them from civilian to soldier. If you were wearing a blue or yellow stripe, you were a soldier; if you were wearing white or nothing, you were a civilian. But, he messed up because he said that soldiers asked if they could shoot people without a blue stripe, and they were told, "Yes."
He also said, as a defense, that "this is war" and civilians get killed. Well, at least he admitted that it was a war, and not some special action--whatever Russia said it was.
Sorry, but this is chilling and sobering. This is AWFUL. Talk about Nazis...
Another reporter said that she had learned that Ukraine has announced that there is another city, Bora...something...that was FAR WORSE than Bucha, with people killed or executed, after the Russian withdrawal, and the PR of the Russian Federation said he did not know anything about that. I imagine we will eventually hear of it, perhaps tomorrow.
Another reporter asked if the Ukrainian civilians that had been interviewed were lying when they said they watched their loved ones being shot by Russian soldiers, were those statements also fake, and he didn't give much of an answer.
If you have watched Barbara Woodward, PR of the UK at the UN, speaking in the past, you will know that she is very forceful in her speeches. She isn't demonstrating "weakness" at all. And, now she is presiding for one month. Too bad, Vasily.
You should watch this presser, if you can.
Who shot these civilians? Who buried them in a mass grave? They didn't shoot themselves. These are crimes against humanity committed by Russian troops in the name of Russia.
And yeah, there have been other countries, in other times, my own included, where atrocities have been committed in the name of war. But, this is now, and we have a chance to speak up against it. We have a chance to challenge this dreadful circumstance, and change this PR war where everything gets whitewashed. It's not acceptable for this to happen, just because it's WAR.
You started this, Russia. It's on you.
Russia has committed crimes against humanity.
What have they NOT done?
https://trialinternational.org/topics-post/crimes-against-humanity/
Murder
Extermination
Enslavement
Deportation or forcible transfer of population
Imprisonment
Torture
Sexual violence
Persecution against an identifiable group
Enforced disappearance of persons
The crime of apartheid
Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Art. 7
It is shocking what they have done. They have no excuse.
Russia's excuse for the atrocity
Well, I guess that Russia is running to the UN to make it's excuses for what they did:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-asks-un-security-council-discuss-bucha-provocation-2022-04-03/
I don't see this "emergency" meeting listed for Monday. Just look up "UNWeb TV" in Google to find the listings for the UN meetings. My rig doesn't want to stream the TV very well, so I usually switch to YouTube after discovering the time something is to be shown. You can put "YouTube UN" in the search box and usually get a selection of things to look at from the UN.
So, victim blaming, are we? I don't know if we will get to see this exchange, but the UN has been pretty transparent so far. I can't wait to hear what the rest of the world will say to Russia over this tragedy. And, usually they will invite Ukraine to sit in (so adopted), and that will be interesting, because I expect images of graves and bodies.
I want Russia to be charged in the Hague as criminal defendants for these crimes. No more dancing around the issue: let the world's reps tell them off in a no-doubt-about-it fashion. I know that protocols have to be observed; there is simply no way to get nations together unless you show respect and solicitude. But I wanna hear at least one of them say, "With all due respect, Sir, you are a lying weasel and full of crap."
Ukraine, 
So, Odessa was shelled.
Odessa was reported to be a key objective in Russia's war efforts. So, it looks like they may have started on Odessa, by shelling from warships in the Azov. Those weren't errant shells.
The style of fighting that Russia has shown is a giant war crime. Apparently, they think that bombing the cities to rubble, and terrorizing the civilian populations, is the thing to do. The peace talks seem pointless to me, as Putin is a liar and seems to have no intent whatsoever to hold legitimate talks. Saying, Surrender everything, is not a negotiation. I don't want Zelensky to meet with Putin at all. It is too dangerous, and pointless. Ukraine is not going to surrender.
I am not allowed to say what I really think here at DU. I was censored for that, and cannot argue. But, let me just say, in my wildest fantasy, I picture a "30-seconds over Tokyo" type of raid. Can I say that? They will let me know. I have a longing for retribution against Moscow and Putin.
The war is not over. I think that someone should send the Hague a complaint delineating all the war crimes that Russia is committing against civilian populations in these cities. NATO and the UN do not want to expand to WW3, which is well and good. And, I know that we are squeezing the life out of Russia and its buddies. Well, maybe not China, yet. But, it isn't stopping Russia from shelling cities that it has heretofore left alone. Russia is seeking control of that corridor come hell or high water.
Since this is turning into all cosplay, with pretend hands off to avoid WW3, why can't someone give Ukraine a couple of warships of their own, or a sub, or something, to distract the Russians from destroying Odessa?
I dunno, I'm awfully sad today. This is the turning point of the world's opinion. Russia will never be forgiven for this, although we forgave Germany and Japan and now we are friends. I don't think we are ever going to forgive Russia for this. It is up to the Russian people to take down Putin and his thugs. But, I think the consequences for the average Russian is far greater than when other countries have protested their own governments aggression. Still, it's the price you pay for being free.
Putin is a dictator. Death to all dictators. People shall be free.
Ukraine,
I've been looking up those radiated soldiers
from the viewpoint that, are they still dangerous?
It seems that if you are irradiated externally, you are not a danger to anyone else; you don't remain radioactive yourself. Materials that are on them might be, though. I read that once the radioactive rays go through human tissue, they can't radiate anyone else.
But, if you eat something that is radioactive, you put that internally into yourself, then you become radioactive yourself. So, while the greatest studies indicate that there is no danger of radiating anyone else, there are circumstances which might make someone dangerous to be around. I recall that sometimes women would get radioactive pellets placed in an effort to help them beat cancer. Precautions had to be taken.
So, I wonder what they did to decontaminate those soldiers and all their equipment, or if they just transported them off to Belarus, radioactive dust and all? Even the buses could then be contaminated.
I don't know enough about the transmission of radioactive materials, except what I have seen in movies and what I have recently read. It was very stupid of Russia to allow the soldiers to dig trenches in radioactive soil. It is just further proof that Russia either doesn't care about its troops, or is just ignorant enough to do those stupid things.
How long will Kaliningrad remain quiet?
Russia has considerable military assets stashed in Kaliningrad. An eye has to be kept on what that area is doing. They are being held in reserve for what?
Escape routes blocked once again.
There were two things happening for Ukraine's civilians. One, the UN sent in humanitarian convoys, and two, there were supposed to be escape routes opened up for civilians to get out, especially in the Mariupol region.
Well, none of that is happening now, thanks to Russia. You know the drill.
I am unhappy that Ukraine has to concede their NATO efforts, as well as assuming a neutral stance. Well, they don't have to, but apparently that is on the table, in an effort to achieve an end to the war. But, Russia isn't buying anything. What is wrong with those people?
It isn't for us to say what is best for Ukraine, but we can certainly voice our opinions. Russia needs to pick an exit strategy, because they aren't going to win! The whole world (with the exceptions of certain countries which we all know) is rooting for Ukraine; those military supplies are only INCREASING in amount and quality. Russia, find an excuse to leave, because you ain't looking good right now!
It's a good thing that I am not President. I am happy with the leadership of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Praying for peace...
It's impossible not to think of Trump as a traitor.
I always thought he was. Remember when he tried to set up the back line to Russia, but they got found out? His admiration for Putin is disgusting, just utterly reprehensible. Remember when he had that private conversation in the WH with Russian reps, and no transcript was created?
Now, for whatever reason, midterms or just helping Putin, he has chosen a pathway that is antiAmerican. What in holy hell does he think he is doing? Does he think at all?? This narcissistic piece of trash (oh, I guess I'll get in trouble for that) doesn't care that we are practically into WW3, and he is aiding the enemy.
Oh no, it doesn't amount to treason; we are all well versed by now that treason can only occur during a declared war, and Biden has carefully kept us out of it, for now--but, by G-d in heaven, he is a disloyal, uncaring, selfish, doughy butted, boring megalomaniac of uncertain parentage who absolutely must not be allowed to return to power ever again. Whatever hold he has on the Republicans, they can FORGET IT.
I guess he's entitled to his free speech rights--aren't we all?--but, we are also free to vote for a Democrat at midterms and in 2024. We are free to tell him to GTH! Republicans, GTH! It's not a figment of my imagination that they have spent more time worshipping Trump, and trying to avoid being apprehended, than they have spent governing.
I am just not going to forgive any of them for this. They are creating havoc in the US political arena, just so they can gain power, rather than helping to see us through this horrible world situation. None of them are helpful; those that have committed crimes need to be prosecuted and thrown into jail. Shame on them all!
Russia's "humanitarian" approach
Of course, yesterday Russia presented its resolution to the Security Council, which was denied. There was another resolution presented to the General Assembly. The difference between these two resolutions is that Russia carefully omitted any mention of the fact that they are the reason for the humanitarian crisis, while in the GA document the blame is publicly laid at Russia's feet.
So, Russia whined about it extensively, both during the meetings and during press conferences. Boo hoo.
So, let's run through it: First, Russia is the absolute cause of this humanitarian crisis. It's their war which they started, and the complete fix would be for them to stop fighting and withdraw from Ukraine.
Second, when safe corridors were first created, Russia shot them up in defiance, even though they had agreed to a cease fire. Next, they said, Okay, you can have two safe corridors, but they have to lead into Russia. No explanation for that.
Then, they simply threw up their hands and abducted hostages, transferring them into Russia. They are now abducting individual people from various places.
Now, they are angry because they can't get the UN to agree with them that they are not the cause of this heartbreaking situation. They are mentioning the "West" as being the baddies in any way they can.
In particular, they are upset that their "facts" are not treated as facts. Their "proof" consists of them opening their mouths with lies pouring forth. And, they are not willing to entertain the notion of actually stopping the fighting and withdrawing.
The UN needs to change its rules. If they can't kick Russia out, then at least fix the rules so the country responsible for the actual problem doesn't get a say so in the proposals. It is a waste of the UN's time.
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