This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Chinese fighter jet buzzes U.S. surveillance plane in international waters
- In major escalation, Russia moves trucks, troops, artillery into Ukraine
Chinese fighter jet buzzes U.S. surveillance plane in international waters
The Obama administration is launching a protest to China after aChinese fighter plane made three passes dangerously near aU.S. surveillance plane in international waters.
The incident is reminiscent of an April 2001 encounter when a ChineseF-8 interceptor crashed into a U.S. surveillance aircraft off thesouthern China coast. The Chinese aircraft crashed into the sea, andits crew was killed. The U.S. plane made an emergency landing onChina’s Hainan Island, and its 24 crew members were imprisoned for 10days.
In the current incident, a Chinese J-11 fighter jet, a version of theRussian SU-27, made three passes dangerously near the U.S. plane andzoomed directly in front of the Navy plane at a 90-degree angle toreveal its belly, which was packed with weaponry, according to aPentagon spokesman. At one point the Chinese warplane flew alongsidethe Navy aircraft, putting their wingtips as close as 30 feetapart. The encounter ended with the Chinese pilot doing a barrel rollover the top of the U.S. plane. Stars and Stripes and Washington Free Beacon
In major escalation, Russia moves trucks, troops, artillery into Ukraine
NATO is reporting that Russian troops have moved artillery across theborder into eastern Ukraine and are firing on the Ukrainian militaryfrom inside Ukraine’s borders. This is a major escalation by Russia and threatens a larger war between Ukraine and Russia. It’s beenknown for some time that Russia has been surreptitiously supplying tothe pro-Russian separatist militias heavy weapons, including thesurface-to-air missiles that the separatists used to shoot down theMalaysian Airlines flight 17 passenger plane.
At the same time, Russia’s massive 280-truck “humanitarian convoy”moved across the border from Russia into Ukraine, without thepermission of the Ukraine government. The convoy was supposed to becoordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who would take responsibility for overseeing the distribution of aid,but the convoy no longer has any connection with the ICRC. Ukraine’sgovernment is calling this a “direct invasion.”
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen issued the strongestcondemnation yet of Russia’s actions:
I condemn the entry of a Russian so-calledhumanitarian convoy into Ukrainian territory without the consentof the Ukrainian authorities and without any involvement of theInternational Committee of the Red Cross. This is a blatant breachof Russia’s international commitments, including those maderecently in Berlin and Geneva, and a further violation ofUkraine’s sovereignty by Russia. It can only deepen the crisis inthe region, which Russia itself has created and has continued tofuel. The disregard of international humanitarian principlesraises further questions about whether the true purpose of the aidconvoy is to support civilians or to resupply armed separatists.
These developments are even more worrying as they coincide with amajor escalation in Russian military involvement in EasternUkraine since mid-August, including the use of Russian forces. Inaddition, Russian artillery support – both cross-border and fromwithin Ukraine – is being employed against the Ukrainian armedforces. We have also seen transfers of large quantities ofadvanced weapons, including tanks, armored personnel carriers,and artillery to separatist groups in Eastern Ukraine. Moreover,NATO is observing an alarming build-up of Russian ground and airforces in the vicinity of Ukraine.
Rassmussen added, “Instead of de-escalating the situation, Russiacontinues to escalate it.”
Russia responded in the U.N. Security Council by criticizingLithuania, a temporary member, for having requested an emergencymeeting to discuss Ukraine and for systematically opposing Russianinitiatives. According to Russia’s U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin:
“At times it seems there is no clear chain of commandin Kiev, because some assurances are given (to Russia) at a veryhigh level and then others do not give the orders which arerequired … by the border police to let the (aid) trucks in.That game could not continue indefinitely.”
this is what we did.”
Washinton Post and NATO News andReuters
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, China, J-11 fighter jet,Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL,Iraq, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Navi Pillay,Israel, Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu,International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC,NATO, Russia, Ukraine, Anders Fogh Rasmussen,Vitaly Churkin
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