From Chaos To Order or the Reverse
"Cossacks from the Don .... To protect the Russian brothers from the fascists. We're no war dogs. We want peace. We are just making sure nobody brings in weapons or explosives."Wearing long black hair, a dense beard and fur hat, with a badge displaying a golden death's head on his sleeve, Bratislav is on guard, a nationalist paramilitary called in from Kosovo by pro-secessionists "Cossacks from the Don". Batons and Kalashnikovs in hand he and his small squad were busy checking incoming cars.
Bratislav, Serbian Chetnik, Simferopol, Ukraine
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| Armed members of the Russian forces wait outside the Ukrainian firefighters brigade headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Ukraine said one of its soldiers was killed in Crimea today in the first case of bloodshed since Russian troops and pro-Kremlin militia seized the rebel peninsula almost three weeks ago. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE |
To ensure that no fascists entered with plans to take over the Crimea. Bratislav showed a reporter a Samsung tablet with a website where fighters like him exchange travel plans. In Ukraine, comrades of his believe they could congregate to "fight America", and its conspiracy to pull Ukraine away from Russia. They are, he said, on the way.
"I tell you: Ukraine is becoming the next Yugoslavia. Only bigger." He's not alone in that thought. The Orthodox bishop of Simferopol, Klyment, stated his fear that the Balkan wars would represent a mere incident in comparison to what may yet be unleashed in Crimea as a result of its volatile ethnic mix -- an impending crisis that may very well creep its way further into Ukraine to the mainland.
The various cultural and ethnic mix that once coexisted appear now to be mutual threats to peaceful coexistence. The opinion of many of the 60% of Crimeans who identify themselves as Russian is that it is the (roughly) 40% of the Ukrainian-speaking Crimeans that represent the threat. The twenty-year experiment with democracy has failed, it resulted in chaos, and the return to the strong, methodical order of Moscow will furnish the solution to that chaos.
Ethnic Tatars who suffered deportation and mass murder under Stalin insist their interest is toward peace. Conspiracy theories about jihadists coming to the rescue of their Muslim brethren are overwrought and false. Questioning the head of the media office of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Ukraine, Fazil Amzayev, the 32-year-old said no, he couldn't rule out the potential of jihadis attracted to Crimea if Moscow began "systematically" to suppress Muslims.
However, even the impression that Muslims may be under attack could be sufficient to draw Islamists to Crimea. "The danger is there. If it happens, not even Putin will be able to control the situation." Does Vladimir Putin in his wildest nightmare consider what kind of genie he has unleashed in his victory of dividing Ukraine and absorbing Crimea into his dream of a future Soviet renaissance?
Labels: Crimea, Russia, Secession, Ukraine
posted by Pieface @ Friday, March 21, 2014
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