Russian MPs want to fly to Washington to sway Syria vote
Source: reuters
Russian lawmakers want to travel to Washington to urge the U.S. Congress not to back President Barack Obama's plan for military strikes on Syria, the speaker of the upper house of parliament told President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Dismissing U.S. accusations that the Syrian government had killed hundreds of its own people with poison gas as nothing but "talk", senior legislator Valentina Matviyenko said both chambers were ready to send delegations.
Russia is one of the main allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has already blocked several Western-led resolutions in the U.N. Security Council to sanction him over his crackdown on a now 2-1/2-year-old uprising.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/02/us-syria-conflict-russia-usa-idUSBRE9810D420130902
Talking is better than bombing
darkangel218
(13,985 posts)What about the genocide happening in Syria? Is Russia going to stop it?
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)darkangel218
(13,985 posts)Not civilians.
Assad is the one targeting and mass killing his own people.
another_liberal
(8,821 posts)You must be ready for a new war drum, after all the beating your current one has gotten.
darkangel218
(13,985 posts)another_liberal
(8,821 posts)Then again, maybe I'm mistaken?
darkangel218
(13,985 posts)HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)You can guarantee not one single missle will be 100 yds off-target? All it takes is one....hitting a hospital or school. Don't forget, we once hit the Chinese Embassy by mistake.
darkangel218
(13,985 posts)Of course there is a possibility that there will be civilian casualities. But if we do nothing, Assad's regim will continue to mass murder their own people. And that's not even up for debate, its a guarantee.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Look its a clusterfuck there. Lots more people are going to die no matter what. At least lets make sure they aren't dying because of our bombs. All the civilians our drones have killed, we should just STFU about moral outrage....the only morals we have are those of convienience. Its going to be quite a while until we can claim any moral high ground.
ellenrr
(3,864 posts)"50 Civilians Are Killed For Every 1 Terrorist,"
http://www.policymic.com/articles/16949/predator-drone-strikes-50-civilians-are-killed-for-every-1-terrorist-and-the-cia-only-wants-to-up-drone-warfare
karynnj
(59,508 posts)At this point, they are denying it happened. However, Russia - or Russia ans Iran - have the standing with Syria to demand that they destroy all chemical weapons they have. If this happened (ie the CW destroyed) , then it would be easy for Obama to state that no bombing is needed - as the goal was to make cw less likely.
SkyDaddy7
(6,045 posts)Very important question that i doubt will get a measured answer.
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)This American expedition became a military demonstration by Russia during the U.S. Civil War. England and France advocated for the southern rebels. Russia held a friendly position in respect to the federal government in the North. It increased hostility toward Russia on the part of England and France, which strove for loosening its international influence. The Russian government decided to send two ship squadrons to the US to demonstrate support for the northerners, as well as to create a potential threat to marine communications of England and France in order to make them refuse assistance to the South States.
The Russian squadrons set out towards the coast of North America in the second half of 1863. The Atlantic squadron commanded by rear admiral S.S. Lesovskii (frigate "Aleksandr Nevsky", "Peresvet", "Osliabia", corvettes "Variag", "Vitiaz" and clipper "Almaz" departed from the Russian port of Kronshtadt and went to New York. Another squadron - Pacific - was commanded by rear admiral A.A. Popov (corvettes "Bogatyr", "Kalevala", "Rynda", "Novik", clippers "Abrek" and "Gaidamak" . They went from the ports of the Far East and set out to San Francisco. In September 1863, the squadron of Lesovskii arrived at the port of New York, and the squadron of Popov - to the port of San Francisco. The Russian squadrons stayed in these ports of North America and sailed near its West and East coasts until August 1864. Individual ships of the Atlantic squadron, which were based in New York, visited Baltimore, Annapolis, Hampton, the Caribbean sea, the gulf of Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Havana, Jamaica, Curasao, Cartagena, Bermuda islands and Aspinwall. The ships of the Pacific Ocean squadron had were based in San Francisco and went for practical sailing to Honolulu, the South hemisphere, Sitka and Vancouver. Russian navy seamen showed high naval
skills, discipline and good organization during these voyages.
The Atlantic squadron returned to Russia late July. The Pacific squadron returned in August 1864. The appearance of the Russian squadrons off the coasts of America caused a great political reaction and forced England and France to change their positions in respect to Russia and the Northern states of America. In 1866, the government of the US sent a ship detachment with special deputation. This detachment officially expressed gratitude to the Russian government for assistance to the northerners in their struggle against slavery.
http://www.feefhs.org/members/blitz/1863-1864.html
arewenotdemo
(2,364 posts)Great story. Seems like Britain and France have quite the history of backing the wrong side.
Hekate
(90,978 posts)Don't let details like the Cold War get in the way of a great story, though.
Russia is not our friend. Trading partner, maybe. Friend? never. Putin is KGB to the core.
arewenotdemo
(2,364 posts)Hekate
(90,978 posts).... but before that it was Tsars as emperors.
Daniel537
(1,560 posts)The only interest they seem to have there is supplying the Assad tyranny with more weapons.
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)...
The meeting was to have taken up plans for an international peace conference aimed at ending Syria's civil war.
...
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57600192/source-u.s-postpones-meeting-with-russia-about-syria/
Daniel537
(1,560 posts)why don't these MPs just vote to cut off the weapons sales unilaterally. After all, if they are seriously interested in peace, that is surely a no-brainer, right?
arewenotdemo
(2,364 posts)And American allies Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been supplying the weapons.
It's a covert war that the U.S. has been waging.
The Obama Administration would actually have to desire peace for any peace proposals to have a chance to work.
Celefin
(532 posts)..but we just might be headed towards a new one.
The proxy wars are already back on full display.
another_liberal
(8,821 posts)I mean, do they not even know what kind of Red-baiting, Commie-hating, anti-Russian Xenophobia reigns in Washington D.C.? Their presence would assure a vote for attacking Syria, despite Republican reluctance to agree with anything President Obama wants.
Their staying at home and pretending to urge our Tea Party red-necks, dingbats and wingnuts to support the President would do far more to put a halt to our attack on Assad.
Rebellious Republican
(5,029 posts)"Russian lawmakers want to travel to Washington to urge the U.S. Congress not to back President Barack Obama's plan for military strikes on Syria"
Sorry to inform them that POTUS has asked for congress to decide!
Gman23
(1 post)greeted at the airport with a bunch of people waving the Gay Rainbow Flag.
24601
(3,966 posts)he's still in Russia, tell Putin he should start searching for another port.
brooklynite
(94,911 posts)...I'm sure some Republicans would be interested.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)Ya, those folks are fierce defenders of human rights
Celefin
(532 posts)and listen to them precisely because of that.