Russia sends troops into Krgyzstan as ethnic clashes spread

[CougarKing]

And Russia sends troops into Krgyzstan:

OSH, Kyrgyzstan (Reuters) - Russia sent hundreds of paratroopers to Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to protect its military facilities, Interfax reported, as ethnic clashes spread in the Central Asian state, bringing the death toll from days of fighting to 97.
Ethnic Uzbeks in a besieged neighborhood of Kyrgyzstan's second city Osh said gangs, aided by the military, were carrying out genocide, burning residents out of their homes and shooting them as they fled. Witnesses saw bodies lying on the streets.


Interfax news agency, citing a security source, said a battalion of Russian paratroopers had arrived in the country on Sunday to help protect Russian military facilities.


A Russian army battalion is usually around 400 men, but Interfax referred to a "reinforced battalion," which can include as many as 650 troops.


"The mission of the force that has landed is to reinforce the defense of Russian military facilities and ensure security of Russian military servicemen and their families," the source was quoted as saying.


Kyrgyz news website www.24.kg cited a Kyrgyz defense ministry source as saying Russian troops had landed at Kant air base aboard three Russian IL-76 aircraft.

(...)

 

[57Chevy]

Uprising threatens U.S. toehold  (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

Manas air base. Critical link in getting troops to Afghanistan

The uprising in Kyrgyzstan means the United States may have to bargain hard to keep its last military base in Central Asia.

Turmoil in Kyrgyzstan has thrust the fate of the Manas air base - which is crucial for fighting the Afghan war - to the forefront of rivalry between the United States and Russia.

Russia has long dreamed of evicting the United States from Central Asia and a Russian official said on Thursday that Moscow would urge the interim Kyrgyz government to shut the U.S. base.

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Uprising+threatens+toehold/2785280/story.html#ixzz0qrlMxnKz

 

[57Chevy]

more news on Krgyzstan     

400,000 Kyrgyz refugees uprooted: UN

SURATASH, Kyrgyzstan - Makeshift camps on both sides of Kyrgyzstan's border with Uzbekistan are home to 400,000 refugees uprooted by ethnic violence, the United Nations said on Thursday, and the area remains extremely tense.

Many refugees are running short of basic supplies and fear fresh attacks. In one camp, clay houses were crammed with dozens of refugees and many others are having to sleep rough.

At least 191 people have been killed since June 10 in south Kyrgyzstan in clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. The government says the death toll is several times higher.

In Osh, the epicentre of the clashes, people in Uzbek neighbourhoods have built barricades, in effect demarcation lines separating them from Kyrgyz parts of the city.

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/world/Kyrgyz+refugees+uprooted/3166851/story.html#ixzz0rAS4Q9cu
              (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[PegcityNavy]

What a shock for Stalin i mean Putin.

 

[NSDreamer]

I like how we're looking at another Rwanda here, and again the international community seems to be only interested in saving their own things.

That aside, I wonder what the Russians procedure for securing off base personel is?

 

[mellian]

I like how we're looking at another Rwanda here, and again the international community seems to be only interested in saving their own things.

What can seriously be done by the international community otherwise?

 

[SocialyDistorted]

Exactly. The Kyrgyz gov't wants Russian troops as "peacemakers"

IMO, what they don't understand is that in a situation like this peacemakers wouldn't be able to do much except fight both sides (assuming both sides are belligerents) and if the rumours of government troops (i.e. Army) is true, then it would technically be open war between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Weird situation there

 

[NSDreamer]

What can seriously be done by the international community otherwise?

That's a good question. If nothing else, applying to Uzbekistan government to allow armed deployment of peace keepers surrounding the refugee camps to deter sniping by Kyrgs at defenseless refugees. I'm not suggesting we invade sovereign territory by any means, but I'm sure there are options that are out there beyond even this.

I by no means claim to be an expert on such information, it seems however that there are things to do beyond sitting back an watching. I wonder what avenues are open for sending aide to the camps.

"Humanitarian aid has been flown into the region from Russia, the United States and other powers. But observers on the ground said it was not reaching most camps and neighbourhoods on the Kyrgyz side because of security concerns."
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/world/Kyrgyz+refugees+uprooted/3166851/story.html#ixzz0rDVOeeoQ


Could we not look at ways of insuring protection for international aide being sent in so these refugees have access to food and water for example.

As I said, I'm not suggesting we invade soverign territory, however there are things we can clearly do.

 

[aesop081]

, however there are things we can clearly do.

Clear ?

Ok....tell us, what are they ?

 

[NSDreamer]

I

Clear ?

Ok....tell us, what are they ?

One blazing example I alreay pointed out. Request permission of the Uzbekistan government to allow us to fly in and defend aide convoys to said refugee camps. Yes it's a complicated process, but it's not exactly wearing a ghili suit and hiding in the forest when it comes to clarity.

 

[vonGarvin]

What can seriously be done by the international community otherwise?

Send in troops, tell the locals to sum up, and shoot those who go on killing men, women and children.  Shoot them in the face.  Repeatedly.


That's what could be done.  That's what the Soviets would have done.  Should it be done?  Not up to me.  If it were, this would have been last week's news as a  minor footnote in Krgyzstani history.

 

[aesop081]

Request permission of the Uzbekistan government to allow us to fly in and defend aide convoys to said refugee camps.

And what happens when they say "NO" ?

 

[NSDreamer]

Repeat process with Urumqi, Kazakhstan an Tajikistan.

And what happens when they say "NO" ?

What happens if the sun doesn't come up tomorrow? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I have to wake up to find out. If you judge the basis of all attempts on the chance of failure existing, then you don't have much hope to begin with.

There is never a golden solution when it comes to international diplomacy/politics if you wish to be percieved as a democratic, emancipated nation. If you want people to look at you and go, "Oh they're the good guys!"

Reality is harsh. What would I have done were I in charge back during the Rwandan situation? Said damn the guns and I would have ordered the exact same sort of response that we eventually got around to performing on Hitler. That's probably why I'm not in elected office though. For this situation it's more complex, what we have here isn't organized genocide, its rioting and genocide occuring, or at least that is what it is being presented as. While there is some suggestion that government forces are propping up this genocide in news articles, I have no first hand data.

What I do know is that people are stupid in mobs, but even stupid people don't charge entrenched and armed peace keepers just to get at helpless refugees (I'd like to 'think I know this anyway). So yes, we should ask permission don't you think?

Then again I just remembered the Bore Wars and spear and shield armed natives charging the british rifleman so who knows! At least we can try.

 

[sky777]

But why UN keeps silence?
200 people were killed.

 

[aesop081]

Reality is harsh.

i know. I have been on tour in some of those places where reality is harsh. It is so harsh in fact, that cold political calculations have to be made.

So yes, we should ask permission don't you think?

Indeed. Otherwise we would be invading a sovereign country. You think the West is prepared to do that ?

but even stupid people don't charge entrenched and armed peace keepers just to get at helpless refugees

:rofl:

Wish the world was that simple......

 

[NSDreamer]

Wish the world was that simple......

Here here.

 

[The Bread Guy]

But why UN keeps silence?
200 people were killed.

Not entirely silent....
20 May 10:  "Secretary-General Urges Calm, Restraint as Two Die in Kyrgyzstan Ethnic Clashes"
11 Jun 10:  "Secretary-General Deeply Concerned by Renewed Violence in Kyrgyzstan; Urges Utmost Restraint to Prevent Further Loss of Life"

Others have already highlighted, better than I could, how "simple" an international response to this would be.

 

[57Chevy]

One million caught up in Kyrgyz violence, UN says:

GENEVA - More than one million people have been affected by the violent conflict in Kyrgyzstan and need food and other aid supplies, UN officials said on Friday.

They include some 400,000 people left homeless after fleeing ethnic clashes in the southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad that erupted a week ago. Some 300,000 are displaced within Kyrgyzstan while another 100,000 people have crossed over into Uzbekistan.

"For the moment, we estimate that we will probably need to respond to the needs of more than one million people, displaced people, refugees and people in host families who have been affected by the conflict," Christiane Berthiaume, spokeswoman of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), told a news briefing.

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Kyrgyz+leader+says+dead+ravaged+south/3170304/story.html#ixzz0rDxidgP7


              (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[armychick2009]

I've been taking Russian/Soviet history the past 6 weeks and... all I can say is, "Wow."  It's been probably the most eye-opening course I've taken so far with regards to culture and politics. The regimes and the reality (or, THEIR perceived reality) of events is just out of the realm of western thinking -- not something we can understand easily.

In some ways, I'm impressed at the ability of the Russian peoples to survive all that they've gone through at the hands of their own government... but, on the other hand -- I don't understand why after hundreds of years, history keeps replaying itself over and over -- each time expecting a different result but ultimately, ending in a place no different from where they started.

I have a greater respect for Canada now (don't get me wrong, we have lots of issues here too that never seem to get resolved) but fortunately we seem to in these contemporary days, be able to avoid bloodshed while we work through our own issues. (Let's hope it stays that way!)

 

[FormerEnlisted]

Send in troops, tell the locals to sum up, and shoot those who go on killing men, women and children.  Shoot them in the face.  Repeatedly.


That's what could be done.  That's what the Soviets would have done.  Should it be done?  Not up to me.  If it were, this would have been last week's news as a  minor footnote in Krgyzstani history.

Aye aye! That is the first sensible suggestion I have heard regarding that whole mess.