>>15767264 pb
>>15767264 pb
>>15767264 pb
>post more,
will do.
>his fear is seething through the screen
it really is.
We will go Past Future this time
feel like I'm missing some from early January 21.
Guess I'll start at1-13.
TC Compromised?
don't forget this homo in 2013
Fucking Dems were calling out the Ukraine Nazi problem when it suited them.
> https://euromaidanpress.com/2019/11/04/is-the-azov-battalion-a-terrorist-organization-as-40-us-house-democrats-claim/
Is the Azov Battalion a terrorist organization as 40 US House Democrats claim?
2019/11/04 - 13:22 • International
Edited by: Alya Shandra
Editor’s Note
In a notable letter signed by 40 USA House Democrats and addressed to the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, they ask why certain “white supremacist groups” including the Ukrainian Azov Battalion, were not included on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list.
The battalion has become a media darling to western journalists, being depicted asultranationalists, Neo-Nazis, Ukraine’s greatest weapon,and everything in between. In Ukraine, however, it is respected for its discipline, high battle morals, and effectiveness in protecting the city of Mariupol from the onslaught of Russian-backed militants from the puppet “republics” in the east. It has also gained controversy due to its inclusion of far-right internationals. But is this part of Ukraine’s army “connected to recent terrorist attacks around the world as well as recruiting and influencing American citizens” as the letter says?
Azov Battalion’s brief history
The Azov Special Operations Detachment also known as Azov Battalion or Azov Regiment, was created in May 2014 as one of the volunteer battalions that engaged in defending Ukraine in the first months of the war with pro-Russian militants, when the army had only 4 capable battalions (2,000-4,000 troops).
From the very beginning, Azov was and remains part of the National Guard of Ukraine under command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The regiment has been fighting at the front throughout the entire war (2014–now), mainly in the south near the port city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea coast.
In May-June 2014, Azov Battalion played an important role in the liberation of Mariupol from pro-Russian combatants. In the summer of 2014, it participated in several successful operations of Ukraine’s armed forces, such as re-claiming the towns of Maryinka and, partly, Ilovaisk, which was, however, again lost in one of the Donbas war’s bloodiest battles. In February 2015, Azov conducted one of successful offensive operations in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war as it retook several villages in the vicinity of Mariupol to secure the city from artillery bombardments.
As of October 2019, 46 soldiers of the Azov Battalion sacrificed their lives for Ukrainian independence and integrity in the ongoing war (list and portraits). Today the battalion continues fighting at the frontline and trains new soldiers in its military school in Kyiv.
Addressing the congressmen’s arguments
Representative Max Rose shared the letter of 40 congressmen to Mike Pompeo on Twitter with the following comment:
“Violent white supremacist groups meet all of the StateDept criteria for inclusion on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, but for some reason they refuse to label these groups as terrorists that they are, hampering law enforcement’s ability to keep us safe.”
The attack in Halle, Germany, and Christchurch, New Zealand are examples of evolving white supremacist terrorism, according to the letter (full text). The Congress members say that the Federal Government has several instruments to counter the threat from those overseas terrorist organizations included on the FTO list. Therefore, foreign white supremacist extremist organizations should be added to effectively counter them. The lawmakers seem to have a benign goal, yet their arguments to label Azov Battalion as a terrorist organization are groundless. And here is why.
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Explaining why the Azov Battalion should be included in the FTO list, the Congress members call the detachment “a well-known ultranationalist militia organization in Ukraine…”
This definition is false. The Azov Battalion is not a militia organization, as the US legislators claim. A militia is an irregular and often illegal military organization that is usually opposing the regular armed forces. Giving the Azov Battalion such a definition is a serious mistake at least, and ignorance at most. It shows that, if the Congress members indeed had sincerely good intentions, they didn’t study the case properly. In reality,the Azov Battalion is a regular regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine. To name it a white supremacist militia de-facto meansapplying such a label on the entire National Guard of Ukraine, and, subsequently, the whole Ukrainian state.
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The Democratic lawmakers also define Azov Battalion as an organization== “that openly welcomes neo-Nazis into its ranks” and radicalized several American citizens.
Thatthe Azov Battalion “openly welcomes neo-Nazis into its ranks” is truein some cases. Indeed, several radically far-right individuals were fighting or training in this detachment. Serhiy Korotkykh, for example, an ex-commander of one of the units in the Battalion,previously was a member of neo-Nazi organizationsin Belarus and Russia.
However, to accept neo-Nazis into a regular military regiment is not yet terrorism or its promotion. One should specify what exactly is meant by “neo-Nazis” and whether the views or intentions of this particular person support or call for terrorism. Also, lawmakers should specify in what way Azov radicalized American citizens or induced them to violence.
Regarding the inclusion of neo-Nazis, it’s important to mention that Azov, as well as other regiments of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and National Guard has no selection by ideological criteria. A battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine can’t have any ideology or favor right or left-wing activists or liberals to be enrolled. Ihor Lutsenko, former member of the Azov Battalion and Ukrainian parliament, told Euromaidan Press that he met people having various ideological opinions among the personnel of the detachment and that it’s a private matter for each volunteer. The issue of ideology was not important for Azov when they “were doing real practical things.”
“Ideological views can in no case be grounds for restraining [membership in the army]. If you have certain views, will the army refuse to take you? Ideology is a personal thing, just as religion and so on. As for the involvement of foreigners who were members of various criminal organizations… this is the responsibility of the SBU [Ukraine’s Security Service]. And I have a question about how adequately they do their job,” Ihor Lutsenko said.
What was the case, however, is that several commanders of the Battalion previously belonged to right-wing Ukrainian NGOs or political parties. Naturally, volunteers with nationalist political backgrounds preferred serving in Azov rather than other detachments, to have like-minded people around. This is entirely within the legal framework.
The fact is Battalion’s close relation to the National Corps political party, led by former Azov commanderAndriy Biletskyi, a far-right nationalist who espoused white supremacist views. It is this party, which branched off the Azov Battalion, that is actively building connections to international far-right circles.
Explaining the party’s ideology, International Secretary of the National Corps Olena Semeniaka said that they criticize both Russia and the West which “demand to turn Ukraine into an object of international relations and processes [instead of an active subject]. These demands come from both East and West, and we intend to counter them.” She also called to “awaken the spirit of Europe that is now in a coma.”
Although such statements doesn’t contain anything criminal and legally party is separate from the Battalion, which is an integral part of the National Guard of Ukraine, informally the party can use some people from the staff of the Battalion to conduct its political purposes