For some military vets, deep concern over Trump’s summit with Putin

Kristofer Goldsmith served in the military during the presidency of George W. Bush, and while he came to regard the Iraq War as unnecessary, he respected then-President Bush’s loyalty to the armed forces and the intelligence community

“I never once felt that he didn’t have the best interests of the United States at the forefront of his mind,” says Mr. Goldsmith.
But the Iraq war veteran says it was totally different watching President Trump stand side by side with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki this week and cast doubt on unanimous US intelligence assessments that Russia systematically sought to manipulate the 2016 presidential election.

To have a former KGB agent and an authoritarian standing next to a democratically elected president, and then to have the president condemn the entire US intelligence and security community – it’s mind-blowing,” says Goldsmith, founder of High Ground Veterans Advocacy, a nonprofit group in New York. “I can’t imagine what it was like for current service members to watch our president eating out of Putin’s hand.”

Trump sought to dial back his remarks Tuesday. But just as he was telling reporters at the White House that he had “full faith and support for America’s intelligence agencies,” the lights went out

“Oops, they just turned off the light,” the president said, then added: “That must be the intelligence agencies.”

While only a joke, Trump’s words underscore his frequent belittling of the US intelligence community, which its members say dangerously undermines American credibility abroad – as well as among law and order professionals at home.

Amid that backdrop, the president’s Helsinki summit performance Monday is heightening doubts about the commander-in-chief among Americans who have risked their lives for national security. They consider themselves patriots first and supportive of the office of the presidency – some to the point that they are not even willing to be quoted anonymously – but are deeply concerned about Trump’s words in Helsinki this week. They say his open display of distrust is likely to have consequences far beyond political point-scoring at home.

During Goldsmith’s combat tour in 2005, for example, he helped gather intelligence from residents in Sadr City, Iraq, walking door to door in the impoverished district that was full of anti-American militia fighters to ask for information that could assist his US Army unit.

He asserts that Trump’s criticism of US intelligence agencies will deter people living in war zones from working with US troops.

“The president doesn’t understand the life-and-death risks those people take for us,” says Goldsmith. “[Trump] sent a message to every asset or potential asset in the entire world that when information gathered at ground level reaches him, he considers it worthless. That’s going to make people ask why they should cooperate.”

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Nachtwolfe-Motorradkorso :The federal government has received Putin threatens

The debate over the planned Motorradkorso Nachtwolfe, the federal government in the confrontation: according to the news agency online the Putin threatens the government-loyal Rockers with moves.

The debate over the planned Motorradkorso Nachtwolfe, the federal government in the confrontation: according to the news agency online the Putin threatens the government-loyal Rockers with moves.

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New military doctrines: NATO and Ukraine are now of Putin largest enemies

Moscow - Russia has new military doctrines: Head of state Wladimir Putin signed the document on Friday, as Russian media announced. The valid doctrines designated in particular extremism and terrorism as dangers for the country, external threats played against it so far no large role.

Thus Russia classifies the conflict in Ukraine and the NATO extension to the East as danger for own security. The North Atlantic alliance strengthened and installs its “attack capacities” at the borders to Russia a “global system of the anti-missile defense”, is called it in the document.

The national security council published a report to the changes on its web page on Friday. Therein it, the again-calm doctrines means also a reaction to the situation is in the north of Africa, in Syria, in Iraq and in Afghanistan. “Prominent states” of the world - meant are probably all in front the USA - see themselves to the reproach suspended to threaten independent states with a variety at instruments in order to implement own interests. Thus private military services were used, the protest potential of the population was heated up or radical and extremist organizations were promoted, in order to implement own goals to other states.

Part the Russian military doctrines remains further the “atomic deterrence”. Moscow reserves itself the right to begin with an attack on the own territory or on allied one as well as with a threat for “continuing the State of” nuclear weapons. As largest internal risks the paper calls among other things the activities of terrorists.

Still the day before the Russian minister of foreign affairs had again accused Sergej Lawrow of Ukraine to endanger with their effort around a NATO membership security in Europe. The west again uses the steps of the government in Kiev, in order to heat the conflict up between Russia and Ukraine, said Lawrow.

The president had already outlined on 10 September at a meeting of the military military commissionmilitary commission in the Kremlin, on which basic idea the new doctrines were based. , Putin said the USA, on one side of the agreement about an anti-missile defense stepped out and worked on a new defense system in space. NATO strengthens its forces in Eastern Europe. The “crisis in the Ukraine, provokes and production of some our western partners”, requires an answer “for the security of our country”, so the head of state.

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Putin leaves prematurely G20-Gipfel

Brisbane - whether it the appetite passed? Or whether it was simply only tired? The last common meal let Wladimir Putin rush anyhow - also up to the signing of conclusion minutes it could not wait. Hasty the Russian president left on Sunday from the summit of the 20 most powerful economic nations (G20) in the Australian Brisbane. He must finally work on Monday again, said the head of the Kremlin in its hotel in Brisbane. And four to five hours to sleep it wants also still.

Putin advised in Brisbane with several heads of state and government over the conflict. At the night to Sunday he spoke several hours long with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. Later also EU-commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was added.

Before its departure on Sunday Putin made clear that it does not see an approach to the west. The conflict harms all sides. Without hope for a peaceful solution he is not whole, said a head of the Kremlin. Is important to help humans in the theater of war.

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Return to the cold war: Because they do not know, what they do

Marrowy words and military maneuvers: At its east border NATO wants to show strength now opposite Russia. The cold war is back. Not times the relaxation held 25 years.

Today the NATO meeting in Wales begins. One will remember this day. It seals the new beginning of the cold war. From now on again errs logic that of military governs.

That would have been avoidable. If it someone would have wanted to avoid. The Russians did not want non and we in the west also. “It of takes two tons tango”, said Ronald Reagan once to the US-Soviet relationship. That is valid for the relaxation just like for the confrontation. Now we walk hand in hand back into the future. Behind us we leave an expanse of rubble. The rubble of the policy of detente. We could not even enjoy their fruits 25 years long. Thinking the cold war followed the hopeless logic of the game theory: Always count on the worst intentions and the best abilities of your enemy. Now one thinks again in such a way. What wants Putin? If it would have concerned to it only Crimea, then it could now withdraw itself. Because Kremlin gentlemen nobody will make Crimea more contentious for that. Why the unexplained war in east Ukraine? There no long head scratching is necessary: Putin wants to destroy the west - after the slogan: Count on the worst intentions… on it gives it only one answer: strongly its, hard its. Nobody wants to give the new Chamberlain and only no new Munich! But Putin is not Hitler. The fact that it would have Valhalla end of the world fantasies à la leaders is not well-known. The chancellor says, it lives “in its own world”. The “time” attributes “encirclement fantasies” to him. The truth is: Putin watched for a long time, how it NATO and European Union moved ever more near. With Ukraine was conclusion. The west had to know. Our indignation has therefore something flat. Everyone decides, whereby it sees itself threatened. Putin may have become the prisoner of its own Noworossija rhetoric. Obama is a driving of its right opposition. Therefore it flew to Tallinn and a speech gave there, which made a fame hall of the cold war from the local concert hall. If humans in Estonia or the other Baltic states today asked themselves: Will “who come us to assistance? ”, the answer is clear: “The nato troops and the soldiers of the United States. Here and now. We will be there for Estonia. We will be there for Latvia. We will be there for Lithuanias. You lost your independence already at Russia. With NATO in the back it will never again lose.” “Mourir pour Tallinn?” That was more pathos than one from an American president to expect may. No miracle. The more improbably the announcement, the louder must be spoken it. Still in May the NATO planners had warned, the Baltic was not to be defended with conventional weapons against a Russian attack. Thus then nuclear? “Mourir pour Tallinn?” Hopefully the determination of the American president is not tested. It belongs also to the deterrence logic that one of the contractors errs actually in such a way be could to accept the war approving of. “They do not know, what they do” are called the film appropriate, in which James Dean survives the “hare foot running” only by luck - the other one falls into the abyss. Frank Schirrmacher tells ego” in his game theory book “of the physicist Herman Kahn, who held 1959 in the USA lectures on the conductibleness of the nuclear war: Punt enumerated its shivering audience that the largest nuclear attack of the Soviet Union which can be accepted would destroy all 53 larger metropolises of the USA. That would be bad, however did not live 60 percent of the Americans at all in metropolises.

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Russia in the Ukraine crisis: Of Putin lies

For Wladimir Putin the case is clear: The Ukrainian army encircles cities in the east of the country, kills aimed civilians and devastates the infrastructure. The problem: Of Russia president rotates consistently the facts.

The Donbass seemed for of Russia presidents last far away. Wladimir Putin had traveled deeply to Siberia, to Jakutsk stood among other things the visit of the giant museum on the program. Nevertheless the Ukraine conflict was completely close. With its visit in the Far East Putin explained, wherein the goal of the “present military operation lies in the east (Ukraine)” and why the so-called people resistance went into the offensive.

As so often lately has Putin thereby statements set up, which do not correspond to the reality, yes, which the facts rotate every now and then even into their opposite. Its statements are often unchecked transferred also to Germany. What is poetry and which truth? Spiegel online examines some the most current Russian statements. Putin and the alleged bombardment by the Ukrainian army: “Regular ones Ukrainian units have large cities encircle and to cover residential areas with purposeful fire”, Putin on Monday to a BBC correspondent explained. Few days before it had compared the action of the Ukrainians already with that of the fascist German troops before Leningrad: “Large cities were encircled and destroyed by purposeful bombardment, including inhabitants.” There is no purposeful bombardment of eastUkrainian cities and also not the attempt, the population, as it says, with “sharp fire” to kill. I spent the last weeks in Donezk and to me the damage in the city exactly viewed. Yes, daily there are impacts of artillery, it gives destruction and human victims there. The hits however essentially concentrate on two areas: the area in the north around the main station and on the Petrowski urban district in the southwest. (Empties) the school No. 33 for example, which was met on Wednesday past week, is because of the Lenin brochure in just this southwest Rayon. Were met recently also (for a long time vacated) the market before the main station and a small shop, which have around the clock on - there there were indeed at night dead.

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Putin splits the AfD

For or against Russia? In the party a controversy was inflamed, which divides the guidance.

There are Zoff in the alternative for Germany (AfD). Sounds, unappetizing Zoff, nothing new thus. For the first time however could stand there in the end one as a loser, who otherwise nearly always wins: Bernd Lucke, the boss of the AfD. It goes in this controversy over the attitude to Russia. The attitude to Russia is for the AfD, which Gorleben for the Green is and who socialism for the left wing party: identity-donating. So far the AfD was a Russia-friendly party. Alexander Gauland, head with regard to foreign policy of the AfD, demanded at the end of 2013 in a principle paper, Germany must Bismarck's reinsurance politics deliberate itself. Russia may be not further weakened. Gau country set for the complexity of postmodern foreign policy the geostrategic reason the 19. Century against. More Prussian, the fewer USA. The party applauded applause.

Then Wladimir Putin annexed Crimea. The rest of the world had to behave in addition somehow. Also the AfD, which had been occupied by then particularly with the euro. The members remained Putin faithfully. On their Party Congress in Erfurt in March they, decided was “from greatest importance” to impose no sanctions against Russia. They made gau country Russia course the official party line. Bernd Lucke affirmed this line in the AfD executive committee. In the end the recent party had second, a profile with regard to foreign policy: It was no longer only the anti-euro-party. It was now also the pro Putin party. Recently however Lucke in the European parliament was correct for a request, which fastens completely different tones. Therein the parliament welcomes a future aggravation of the sanctions against Russia and “condemns the aggression of Russia opposite Crimea as serious international-law offence”. Also vice-party chief Hans-Olaf Henkel and two further European delegates of the AfD voted for it.

The members in Germany rave. In letters, emails and on the Facebook side of the AfD request them Lucke to the resignation. They call it “saliva-delicious”, “followers” and “over-paid Sesselfurzer”. The right populist journalist Jürgen Elsässer, who becomes estimated from many AfD members, calls Luckes vote in Brussels “the largest piss take of voters and members, who one can introduce oneself”. Also gau country, the father of the Russia-friendly party line, announced itself to word. Luckes voting behavior is “completely wrong” and “unloyal opposite the party lines”. It warned of a splitting of the AfD. The Shitstorm at the basis became the crisis in the guidance circle. Gau country is not only spokesman with regard to foreign policy of the AfD. It sits also in the Federal Administration. As an European delegate Lucke is committed only to its conscience. That he endorses sanctions against Russia, its good right is – and a footstep into entrails of its party, an attack on the identity of many of their members. The party is homeland of humans, the news on Russia Today as objective reporting regards and Tagesschau as part of the western world conspiracy. Humans, who have a fundamental problem with the west connection of Germany.

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