The Obama Game: Is Putin Being Lured Into a Trap? - by Mike Whitney

[MattSh]

.....

Wolfowitz figured the moment would come when the US would have to square off with Moscow in order to pursue it’s imperial strategy in Asia. Putin doesn’t seem to grasp that yet. He still clings to the misguided notion that rational people will find rational solutions to end the crisis. But he’s mistaken. Washington does not want a peaceful solution. Washington wants a confrontation. Washington wants to draw Moscow into a long-term conflict in Ukraine that will recreate Afghanistan in the 1990s. That’s the goal, to lure Putin into a military quagmire that will discredit him in the eyes of the world, isolate Russia from its allies, put strains on new alliances, undermine the Russian economy, pit Russian troops against US-backed armed mercenaries and Special Ops, destroy Russian relations with business partners in the EU, and create a justification for NATO intervention followed by the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory. That’s the gameplan. Why doesn’t Putin see that?

Putin has agreed to a meeting this week with foreign Ministers from The United States, the European Union, and Ukraine. This is another mistake. Originally, Putin refused to acknowledge the coup-government as legitimate. Now he’s changed his mind. Now he’s agreed to meet with their representatives. This is a victory for Washington and a defeat for Russia. The Obama team will see this as a sign of weakness, which it is.

According to Al Jazeera: “The meeting will involve US Secretary of State John Kerry, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia, the EU said on Tuesday. A spokesman for Ashton said the talks were aimed at “de-escalating” the crisis in Ukraine.”

The meeting has nothing to do with “de-escalating” the crisis.” It’s a public relations stunt. These talks have all the credibility of the Israel-Palestine peace talks, which is to say, none at all.

There’s no sense talking to people who don’t want peace. It just makes them look like they are being sincere, when they’re not. Obama and Co. don’t want peace. They want regime change. They want to weaken and dismember Russia. They want to reduce Moscow’s influence over energy-dependent states in Europe by disrupting the flow of gas through Ukraine. And they want to create a justification for carrying out their imperial agenda, which means they need to make Putin look like a dangerous aggressor. The coup government’s crackdown on ethnic Russians in Donetsk and Kharkiv could lead to a Russian intervention which would provide the justification that Washington is looking for. However painful it is for Putin to watch Russian speaking Ukrainians get beaten and perhaps killed by Nazi thugs and foreign mercenaries dressed up as Ukrainian Security Forces, he should avoid sending in the troops. It’s a trap.

.....

Complete story at - http://www.smirkingchimp.com/node/55375

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. I COMPLETELY disagree with the premise of this article

Ukraine isn't Afghanistan, in lots of different ways. I'm not naive enough to think that the US doesn't want something out of this (else why spend $5bn?). But what the US wants is already happening, in the form of IMF loans and more Western corporate access to the Ukraine. Sure, a POS like comblicking Paul Wolfowitz would like such a war to start, but as angry as I get with the current President, he's not insane. A drawn-out war in central Europe has been done before--and it was insane.

[KurtNYC]

3. Yes. The Ukraine is not Afghanistan

but a sub-premise of this article is correct I think: the US is looking for another protracted war to replace Iraq and Afghanistan.

And it will probably another from "the seven countries in 5 years" list of 1999:

"Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran” -General Wes Clark, NATO Commander

http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166

[2banon]

2. Really? I kind of think this is a very bad strategy, if that's the case..

Ukraine isn't Afghanistan. Regardless of Sanctions imposed by the West, Moscow isn't going to lose credibility with their people and allies. I don't read Regime Change in the tea leaves there.

[gordianot]

4. I doubt this was a planned trap however Putin is sinking into a quagmire.

The United States has much more recent and ongoing experience with quagmires. It is an almost inevitable condition by those interests who either actually are or consider themselves super powers. The real test is how do you get out of the mess? Who does it best wins.