Wars & Rumours of Wars

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
I noticed is health and 'elk blood baths' and all that tripe sort of just went away.

Ukraine war: CIA chief says no intelligence that Putin is in bad health

Ukraine war: CIA chief says no intelligence that Putin is in bad health​

By Gordon Corera and George Wright
BBC News

Putin
Image source, EPA
Image caption,
There has been increasing speculation that Putin may be in ill health
There is no intelligence that Vladimir Putin is unstable or in bad health, the director of the CIA has said.
There has been increasing unconfirmed media speculation that Mr Putin, who turns 70 this year, may be suffering from ill health, possibly cancer.
But William Burns said there was no evidence to suggest this, joking that he appeared "too healthy".
His comments came as the US announced it would provide Ukraine with more long-range weapons.
Earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia's military focus in Ukraine was no longer "only" the east and implied Moscow's strategy had changed after the West supplied Ukraine with such weapons.

'Believer in control'​

"There are lots of rumours about President Putin's health and as far as we can tell he's entirely too healthy," Mr Burns said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

Responding to laughter, he added that this was not a formal intelligence judgement.
Mr Burns, who served as ambassador to Moscow, said he had been observing and dealing with the Russian leader for more than two decades.
Mr Putin is "a big believer in control, intimidation and getting even" and these traits have hardened over the last decade as his circle of advisers has contracted, the CIA chief said.
"He is convinced that his destiny as Russia's leader is to restore Russia as a great power. He believes the key to doing that is to recreate a sphere of influence in Russia's neighbourhood and he cannot do that without controlling Ukraine."
William Burns
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
William Burns, seen here in 2014, served as ambassador to Moscow
Mr Burns travelled to Moscow in November to warn about the serious consequences for invading Ukraine following intelligence the US had collected about Russia's plans. But the CIA director said he left "more troubled than when I arrived".
The Russian president's plans were based on "profoundly flawed assumptions and some real illusions especially about Ukraine and the will to resist", Mr Burns said.

"Putin really does believe his rhetoric. I've heard him say this privately over the years that Ukraine is not a real country.
"Well, real countries fight back. And that's what the Ukrainians have done."
The US estimates that Russian casualties in Ukraine so far have reached around 15,000 killed and perhaps 45,000 wounded, Mr Burns said.
He added Russia's current concentration of forces in the Donbas suggested the military had learned hard lessons.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February, claiming falsely that Russian-speakers in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region had suffered a genocide and needed to be liberated.
Five months on, Russia has occupied parts of the east and south of the country, but it failed in its original aim of capturing Kyiv and has since claimed its main objective was the liberation of Donbas.

The US has accused Russia of preparing to annex parts of Ukraine.
BBC map
Image source, BBC
But earlier on Wednesday the Russian foreign minister implied the US supplying long-range weapons could broaden Moscow's military focus in Ukraine.
Despite Mr Lavrov's apparent warnings, the US on Wednesday announced it would provide Ukraine with more long-range weapons.
Ukraine will receive another four Himars advanced rocket systems to hold the advance of Russian troops, bringing the total number to 16, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
Meanwhile Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska addressed US Congress, asking for more air-defence systems to "help us to stop this terror against Ukrainians".
She said the weapons could help assure a "joint great victory"
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Air Force general says U.S. and allies ARE considering sending an array of fighter jets to Ukraine and give pilots accelerated training to ramp up Western involvement against Russia

Air Force Secretary says U.S. and the West ARE considering sending fighter jets to Ukraine

U.S. forces are now considering sending fighter jets to Ukraine as it continues to face an assault from Russia, according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. Lieutenant Colonel Kendall said that Ukraine is busy dealing with its 'right now problem' in an allusion to its ground-based fighting in the Donbas region. But he also said that assistance in the form of aircraft may be needed. 'We'll be open to discussions with them about what their requirements are and how we might be able to satisfy them,' the Air Force head said during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Wednesday.

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nivek

As Above So Below

China says it WILL shoot Pelosi's plane down IF she travels to Taiwan under US fighter escort: Speaker refuses to confirm trip - as Beijing warns it would 'cross a red line'

Screenshot_20220730-040644.jpg

China fired its most direct warning shot yet amid reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may visit Taiwan on Friday, saying that if the speaker's plane is accompanied by U.S. fighter jets, they would not rule out shooting them down. 'If US fighter jets escort Pelosi's plane into Taiwan, it is invasion. The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi's plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down,' Hu Xijin, a commentator with the Chinese state-affiliated Global Times, wrote on Twitter. Earlier China warned the U.S. against crossing a 'red line' as it released not-so-subtle warnings against the speaker, which China has reasoned is number three in line in U.S. government, from visiting Taiwan.

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wwkirk

Divine

China says it WILL shoot Pelosi's plane down IF she travels to Taiwan under US fighter escort: Speaker refuses to confirm trip - as Beijing warns it would 'cross a red line'

View attachment 16956

China fired its most direct warning shot yet amid reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may visit Taiwan on Friday, saying that if the speaker's plane is accompanied by U.S. fighter jets, they would not rule out shooting them down. 'If US fighter jets escort Pelosi's plane into Taiwan, it is invasion. The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi's plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down,' Hu Xijin, a commentator with the Chinese state-affiliated Global Times, wrote on Twitter. Earlier China warned the U.S. against crossing a 'red line' as it released not-so-subtle warnings against the speaker, which China has reasoned is number three in line in U.S. government, from visiting Taiwan.

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Apart from the possible real motivation for her trip, what is the official reason given?
 

nivek

As Above So Below

nivek

As Above So Below

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Historically China plays the long game. Their neighbors are well aware of this. What they've been doing for some time is probably more important than what's going on at this very instant. More media hype.

Here they thought they'd bought and paid for a sitting US President and instead they got no-Malarkey bumblefuck old Joe. For once they got duped. Unfortunately so did we and now we're stuck with him.
 

wwkirk

Divine
This could develop into a second proxy-war that the liberals have gotten us into, the first being the Ukrainian mess...The media sure is hyping it up...

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China's Pelosi ultimatum: State media threatens 'unbearable consequences' for Taiwan if Speaker visits - as US government Boeing C-40C carrying her departs San Francisco for Asia

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So, will she wind up visiting Taiwan or not?
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office announced early Sunday morning that she plans to visit at least four Asian countries during her trip to the region, but a stop in Taiwan was notably left out."
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Dogs usually just present their bellies or urinate to demonstrate submission. I guess we're doing this. Thanks Nancy, another win for world class statesmanship.
 

wwkirk

Divine
Dogs usually just present their bellies or urinate to demonstrate submission. I guess we're doing this. Thanks Nancy, another win for world class statesmanship.
The absurd part is that she could have initially gone there without any prior announcement. It would have been a fait accompli, and all China could have done is sulk. Instead, she seems to be giving a propaganda victory to China via an unforced error.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
The absurd part is that she could have initially gone there without any prior announcement. It would have been a fait accompli, and all China could have done is sulk. Instead, she seems to be giving a propaganda victory to China via an unforced error.

It's completely absurd, I think it was an intentional itinerary reveal that backfired on her...

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nivek

As Above So Below
China is lying! Tiananmen Square is the issue and what Pelosi did in 1989.

There is more to it than that...

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Nancy Pelosi's long history of opposing Beijing

Most famously in 1991, two years after large-scale protests in Beijing were crushed by the Chinese government, she visited Tiananmen Square and displayed a banner honouring the deceased demonstrators.

For its part, the Chinese government has made no secret of its disdain for Ms Pelosi, once labelling her "full of lies and disinformation".

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province, and has not ruled out using force to unify it. It deploys significant pressure to dissuade other countries from recognising Taiwan's independence.
It has warned of serious consequences if Ms Pelosi does visit Taiwan.

She is second in line for the presidency after Vice-President Kamala Harris, and would be the most senior US politician to travel to the island since her predecessor Newt Gingrich in 1997.

Ms Pelosi is reportedly planning to visit Singapore, Indonesia and Japan in early August, but it is still unclear whether she will stop in Taiwan.

With US-China tensions continuing to run high, even White House officials have reportedly tried to dissuade her from doing so. US President Joe Biden recently told reporters "the military thinks it's not a good idea".

But it is not the first time Ms Pelosi has angered Chinese authorities.

1991 Tiananmen Square visit

Two years after protestors were crushed by Communist Party forces in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the then-California representative visited the capital city. Slipping away from her official escorts along with two other members of Congress, she went to the city square without the permission of her Chinese hosts.

There, they unfurled a small, black banner. "To those who died for democracy in China," the hand-painted banner read.


View: https://twitter.com/speakerpelosi/status/1136052504742027265


The police closed in quickly, roughing up reporters who were covering the event and chasing the lawmakers out of the square.
China's Foreign Ministry later denounced the incident as a "premeditated farce".

Some have criticised Ms Pelosi's actions during the 1991 visit. Former CNN Beijing bureau chief Mike Chinoy wrote in an op-ed for Foreign Policy that she was the reason he got arrested at the scene.
Mr Chinoy said he was not aware of what Ms Pelosi planned to do at the square, and was detained for several hours as the police were unable to target a visiting foreign dignitary.

"It was my first experience with Pelosi's penchant for high-profile gestures designed to poke China's communist rulers in the eye - regardless of the consequences," he wrote.


View: https://twitter.com/mikechinoy/status/1552827710476795905


Ms Pelosi, who also helped lead a resolution condemning China's actions in 1989, has continued to speak out about the "massacre" of demonstrators over the years.

Most recently, she issued a statement to mark the 33rd anniversary of the protests this year, calling the demonstrations "one of the greatest acts of political courage" and slamming the Communist Party's "oppressive regime".

Letters to Hu

At a meeting with then-Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao in 2002, Ms Pelosi tried to pass him four letters expressing concern over the detention and imprisonment of activists in China and Tibet, and calling for their release.

Mr Hu refused to accept the letters.

Seven years later, Ms Pelosi reportedly hand-delivered another letter to Mr Hu - by then President of China - calling for the release of political prisoners including prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Liu was named the winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize but was not allowed to travel to Norway to accept the award. He died of cancer in 2017 while still under Chinese custody.

Olympic manoeuvres

Ms Pelosi has opposed China's bids to host the Olympics Games as far back as 1993 on the basis of its alleged human rights abuses. She was one of the lawmakers that unsuccessfully urged then-US President George W Bush to boycott China's Summer Olympics opening ceremony in 2008.

This year, the Speaker of the House again led calls for a "diplomatic boycott" of Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics over the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China.

"For heads of state to go to China in light of a genocide that is ongoing - while you're sitting there in your seat - really begs the question, what moral authority do you have to speak again about human rights any place in the world?" she said.

In response, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington said US politicians were in no position to make "wanton groundless criticism" against China.

Over the years, Ms Pelosi has also pushed for China's trade status to be linked to its human rights record, and to attach conditions to China's entry to the World Trade Organization.

The policy has been controversial: Mr Bush vetoed legislation related to this several times, while former President Bill Clinton initially supported but later abandoned it, saying broader American strategic interests justified the reversal.


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nivek

As Above So Below
Weird. This plays fine here, but not on YouTube itself.
Okay. Seems to be a problem with Firefox. No problem with Edge.

Firefox has been buggy lately...

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