President calls for sanctions against Russia after airline attack

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   Onusonusposted 9 years ago

   After a passenger airliner was shot down by the Russian government the president called for sanctions against Russia and urged congress to issue a joint resolution of condemnation of their action and has informed Russia that the United States would suspend negotiations on several bilateral arrangements that were under consideration.
   
   The speech below was given from the oval office after intelligence was received that the off course airliner was taken down after being tracked for two hours by Russian military officials flying in a straight line at 30 to 35,000 feet which is the typical flight pattern of a civilian jet liner.
   
   The president characterized it by saying; "“It was an act of barbarism, born of a society which wantonly disregards individual rights and the value of human life and seeks constantly to expand and dominate other nations,”
   
   I for one, applaud the president for acting quickly and decisively in the face of this opposition that threatens the security of all innocent civilian travelers.
   
   The video can be seen here
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VA4W1w … qNeIYVEqcS
   
   By the way it's president Reagan. Obama was probably busy playing golf, going to a fundraiser, or perhaps organizing a beer summit with Putin.

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      bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      +1.  Well presented. Sad, but true.   

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      rhamsonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      ....after intelligence was received
      
      Is this the same gang that brought us the WMD scare in Iraq?

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      Perspycaciousposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Deleted
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         GA Andersonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Damned sensible comment, thanks for jumping in.
         
         GA

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      GA Andersonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      This video exemplifies why I am such a Reagan fan. Putting aside the debatable aspects of his policies - he was able to make me feel that he was a leader, That America was great, and it was great because of the American people.
      
      What other president can you say the same about? JFK... because of the image and imagined possibilities, and Eisenhower because of the reality of his leadership. Otherwise you have to go back to FDR to find as principled U.S. president - in my opinion. (oops! did a conservative guy like me really give kudos to a democrat like FDR? - oh my!)
      
      ps. Sounds like you aren't an Obama fan - what would you have him do regarding the "shot-down" airliner issue?
      
      GA

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         Onusonusposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I think that the supposed unanswered questions should have been answered by now. If it was possible in the 80's for the government to get full details on exactly what occurred with the kind of technology they had back then, it should be much easier for our government to figure out exactly what happened this week in the Ukraine and why.
         The idea that this passenger airline was "mistaken" for a military style jet is a complete farce. There is no way that they didn't know what they were shooting at. And it speaks volumes to the fact that not only do the Russians blatantly obfuscate the truth as they always have, but it has become standard operating procedure for the American government as well.   
         
         You see a similar situation happened a long time ago when a soft little lamb named Neville Chamberlain went up against the Wolf - Hitler. And what the wolf saw was a vein and timid man who clutched at a meaningless treaty, which is what prompted him to dip his toes into the waters of war.
         It wasn't until after the world became engulfed in one of the worst fights in human history that the Wolf was faced with a lion named Winston Churchill, that he was finally put in his place.
         Now, once again we face a Russian Bear, and all we have to stand up against it is another soft little lamb named Obama. Those of us backward-lookers see the Bear arming daily, as we make drastic cuts in our defense forces, and it looks sickeningly familiar to us as we bleat in impotent protest.
         
         But Wolves – and Bears – know what lambs sound like. And those of us who do, in fact, learn the lessons of history will have to stand by once again and watch as those who don’t are doomed to repeat it.

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   GA Andersonposted 9 years ago

   OK, paint me as unfeeling. It seems there may have been one American on the plane... why is this a foreign relations crisis for Pres. Obama?
   
   GA

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      bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Seriously GA?  I am a little surprised this is coming from you.  Are you suggesting that if it turns out Russia took down a commercial airliner, but by chance there happened to be no Americans on board, we should refrain from responding?  Can we chime in if there is an American on the next one?  What is the proper number of Americans before it is appropriate to address the issue?  Frankly I don't care who was on the manifest, we can't tolerate this behavior.  In any previous administration that wouldn't even have been a question, regardless of party.

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         wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         So the US should be the world's policeman.  This time anyway - the next time you may disagree and decide we have no business interfering (like WMD's in Iraq).
         
         How do we tell the difference?

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            bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            You genuinely don't see the increasingly bold and violent actions of Russia as a danger to the US and it's interests?  You think this is none of our business?

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               wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Sure.  About as much as the WMD's in Iraq were.  Does that mean any time we see a danger to ourselves we should step in and kick a$$?
               
               According to my local paper, best guess at this time is that Russia did not shoot anything down; it was pro-separatist Ukranians.  And probably a mistake at that, thinking it was a military aircraft. 
               
               Still think we should aim a good hard kick at Russia?

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                  bBereanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  No, let's follow our fearless leader's example and party for $$$.  I love a good BBQ!  Especially if  you pay me to go.

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                     wildernessposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     I'm good for that, too - the grill is hot and ready.
                     
                     Better than sticking our noses into every little squabble throughout the world, pretending we are the Infallible Great Ones, all knowing and always right.  As we do the things we do to protect our self interests and because our morals and ethics are superior to the rest of the world and to be followed by everyone everywhere.

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               GA Andersonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Can I jump in? Yes, absolutely yes, Russia's current and recent actions are definitely a danger to U.S. interests. And to a lot of other nations too.
               
               But my crystal ball sees Putin getting a serious economic and PR smackdown. This is not the 1950s. Like it or not, the global economy is a big factor now, and Putin is leading Russia into a pariah status that will doom him. Money talks - even in Russia. Multinational economic sanctions, most importantly  U.S. economic sanctions, are going to hurt.
               
               Let's see how important Ukraine is to him when his country's "Big Money" is ostracized."
               
               Just my two cents.
               
               GA

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         GA Andersonposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I think I like it that I "surprised" you.
         
         Let me offer some context to see if you are still surprised.
         
         First, the downing of this passenger jet was a tragedy. Even worse, it was murder. The deaths of those aboard are in no way diminished because they were not American deaths.
         
         This tragedy demands that America join the rest of the world's nations in seeking answers and justice - through the voice and actions of our President.
         
         With that in mind, here is why I questioned this as being an "Obama Foreign Crisis."
         
         As of the time of my original post, these are the facts we knew:
         1. An airliner was shot down by a missile
         2. The missile was credibly identified as coming from the contested pro-Russian separatists territory.
         3. All those on-board the plane were killed.
         
         Then we have the "speculation," some apparently valid, but a lot more just stuff from "talking heads" looking to fill air time and promote their self-importance.
         
         The "safe" speculation:
         1. Russia is supplying the separatists with military armament and training.
         2. The type of rocket used was almost certainly supplied by the Russians.
         3. Whoever did pull the trigger thought they were shooting at a Ukrainian military plane.
         
         The "other" speculation:
         1. The rocket used requires a trained team of 4. Training the separatists lacked - so it must have been "unbranded" Russian special force teams manning - or directing the manning of the rocket.
         
         2. This event could not have happened without at least Putin's support of the separatists.
         
         3. etc. etc. etc. yada, yada, yada - you must know how often the first day or two's details turn out to be wrong when news outlets are giving it 24 hour coverage - and using anything and anyone they can find to fill that 24 hours of airtime..
         
         Now this event appears to pass the "Duck" test - Russia is at fault. At least for supplying the rockets - at worst for operating them. But, there is no smoking gun concrete proof Russia is directly responsible for this tragedy.
         
         So what do you expect Pres, Obama to do? He quickly spoke to the event. He pointed as much blame at Russia and Putin as he could with the facts at hand.
         
         Hence my original response - "Why is this viewed as a foreign relations crisis for the U.S. government?"
         
         I hope this helped you better  understand my remark.
         
         GA

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   maxoxam41posted 9 years ago

   Are you sure it is from the Russians or is it more REALISTICALLY from the Ukrainians that we support?

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   maxoxam41posted 9 years ago

   It's been years now that we've been antagonizing Russia. It's been at least a month that the Ukrainians are bombing the Russian frontier, why is it that we've NEVER heard about it? And you are telling me that for once you are applauding our president? You know that Russia has nuclear weapons that we have nuclear weapons. What do you think will happen if warmongers like you seem to be encourage such irresponsible decisions, do you REALLY think that you will be spared?

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      Onusonusposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      And what you don't seem to understand is history has shown time and again that tyrants loom in the shadows until the hour comes when the world powers that kept them at bay loose their moral substance and prop themselves up with gutless leaders who would rather surrender everything in the name of peace than stand up to them.
      
      It happened with Hitler, it happened with Bin Laden, and it's happening right now with Putin. It's pretty easy to see should one simply choose to open one's eyes.

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   maxoxam41posted 9 years ago

   Since 1919 we've been fomenting plots to destabilize Russia. When did Russia attack us? Let's be realistic for once and refer to history.

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