Preamble: What follows is a first-hand account of events that took place in the area of the MH17 crash site in August of this year, written by someone who was part of the team of OSCE inspectors and observers. The Slavyangrad team was approached by this individual with a view to publishing their account as they believed that more mainstream news sources would either distort or censor the account. Accordingly, we have made only minor alterations to improve the English and to iron out typographical and/or grammatical errors (the author’s first language is not English). For obvious reasons (evident from the final paragraph of this account) we have substituted a pseudonym for the author’s real name.
Written by “Col. Tulip” / Edited by @GBabeuf & O.C.
Photo credits: AFP/Getty Images/Bulent Kilic
On August 8, we received information that a farmer located in the most southern area of the crash site had reported that he had found materials which he believed had originated from the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. According to the report, the farmer also believed that there might be human remains on his fields and he was asking for instructions on what to do. On Sunday, August 10, we attempted to reach the farmer. For this we had to cross from Ukrainian-held territory into rebel-held territory, crossing the no-man’s-land between the front lines. In reality, this basically means the space between the final road-blocks on the main roads.
At the last Ukrainian-manned road-block (manned by a volunteer unit wearing the insignia of the Azov Battalion), well within the twenty kilometre perimeter around the crash site, we were prohibited from continuing because there were ongoing military operations in the area ahead of us. In response to our questions about the operations, we were told “none of your business,” and “be glad we let you leave.” We decided to take a detour in order to try our luck at another road-block. At this road-block, in the hands of the regular army, we were simply waved through after having our papers checked. We asked if there were any military operations ongoing in the area ahead of us; the answer was “not that we know of—we have orders to hold our position and only to defend ourselves.”
Knowing that road-blocks are a regular target for both sides, we decided to move on quickly and see how far we would get. Our designated fixer told us that he expected another road-block ahead of us and a few kilometres along the road his suspicion was confirmed: an improvised road-block constructed from burned out cars and felled trees, manned by irregular troops. They seemed very excited, urging us “go back, go back, we are fighting!” One soldier with Azov badges and the black-red Right-Sector identification, seemingly the commander of this group, came over to our car and told us: “You have already been told that there is a military operation going on and that you are not allowed to proceed.” This made it clear to us that while irregular or volunteer units were communicating with each other, they were not communicating with the regular army unit holding the road-block we had previously passed through.
We took this man aside and reminded him of his government’s commitment to ensuring access to the crash site and to maintaining a twenty kilometre cease-fire zone around it. The reply was, to us, shocking: “I don’t take orders from Kiev,” and after this his tone became threatening. We decided to drive back to the army held road-block and ask around there. The commander at the army road-block said he did not know where the “amateurs” (as he referred to the irregulars) had their road-blocks or what they were doing. His exact statement was “I don’t know who gives them orders, we have no communication with them. My orders are to hold this position and to act only to defend ourselves, so that is what we do.” We asked him again if he knew about any ongoing military operation in the area we were attempting to visit, and his reply was very straightforward: “Did your translator misunderstand something? We have orders to hold this position.” His annoyance seemed real—despite lacking any real insight into his actual orders, I believed he was telling the truth.
We decided to leave the area that was visible from the road-block and instead to try to find access by taking back-roads since our fixer was sure he would be able to find a way to bypass the road-blocks and get to the farmer who was awaiting us. Using back-roads and dirt tracks through fields, we were able to bypass the road-blocks of both sides, including those controlled by Ukrainian irregular forces.
Close to the village we met the farmer. While we were introducing ourselves we could hear artillery fire and explosions in the distance, which was a regular occurrence in this area despite the supposed commitment to a cease-fire around the crash site. The farmer, Gennady, explained to us what he had found and that he wanted to make sure he was not disturbing anything, but that he also needed to start preparing for harvesting his crop. When we approached the path into his fields I noticed two candles, some flowers and a cross. Gennady knelt down to take some dirt away and sat there for a moment. Our translator whispered, “he is praying.” When he got up, he said something which apparently touched our translator so much that she at first replied to Gennady in English, “tell him,” before continuing in Russian.
What Gennady had said was: “I thanked God you are here because they will not attack us now that you are.” What followed was a description, shocking to me, of regular artillery barrages against the villages and settlements in this area. Gennady told us that the villagers say “they are playing tennis, because they play three sets every match to try and kill us.” We had heard about people using the term ‘tennis’ for those actions before, but so far we had thought this meant watching the shells flying over like a tennis ball during a game. Evidently it was not; we were shocked by the cold description. Gennady pointed out some of the sites which he knew to have been hit—all farms, settlements and the two villages in the immediate vicinity. No military emplacements, no military objectives.
Gennady also told us that he had already lost some of his crop due to explosions in his fields. “This crop is all I have, my only income. I hope that I can sell what is still there because this is all my family lives from until the next crop is ready next summer.”
Suddenly we heard the distinctive sound of incoming shells. In the short time working inside the so-called cease-fire zone, our translator had already become used to these sounds and she realized immediately that it was coming in our direction. We dove to the ground for cover, and a little later the first shell exploded just on the other side of the path. Over the echo of the detonation we could hear many objects flying through the air and then felt them impact our protective gear. Seconds later, a second shell exploded near the road, closer to the village. A third shell exploded shortly after, on the other side of the road; we assumed this was either very close to or within the village. After this the barrage ended.
Staying under cover, we inspected the impact site closest to us. What we saw was the spent casing of cluster munitions. There is no doubt what the purpose if this shell was—to cause maximum damage to any human beings in the impact area.
Rushing to our car, taking Gennady with us, his words kept rushing through my head: “they are playing tennis, because they play three sets every match to try and kill us.” Once in the car, our immediate priority was to get away from there. Nobody said a word. After some minutes, Gennady asked us to drive to his mother’s place because he wanted to check whether she was okay or not. Then he said “you are bleeding.” We all checked ourselves. All of us had only minor injuries thanks to our protective equipment. That equipment, though, had been hit by shrapnel and nails, some of which debris was still lodged in it and was protruding from it. We kept looking back and forth between our battered protective equipment and Gennady; everyone, Gennady included, realized that, had we not been there to cover him, all the shrapnel now lodged in our protective equipment would have struck and killed him.
Gennady’s response planted this man firmly in my heart forever. “God has heard my prayers and has sent you to protect me. Please, let us pray to thank God that we are alive.” I am not myself a religious person, but his words touched me deeply. For the first time in many years I felt the need to pray. We stopped the car, got out and prayed together, holding hands. When we arrived at the house of Gennady’s mother, she invited us in for tea. We all needed it. For me it was important to get to know this man—this farmer who, through luck or through Divine intervention, was not murdered on this day.
Gennady, now in his mid-sixties, has worked on these fields since he left school, interrupted only by his obligation to do national service in the Soviet Army. His father had also worked on these field all of his life, just like his grandfather and his great-grandfather. Gennady has two sons. His elder son is in the Militia, his younger son is with family in Russia. He hopes they can return soon because he is too old to work these fields alone. “These fields have good soil because my father and my grandfather and my great-grandfather took care of it and taught me how to take care of it just as I have taught my sons to take care of it. These fields are good to us, we get a good crop. The crops from these fields have fed our family for generations, we are part of this land. We belong here.”
“I will never forget the day when I was told that I was now a Ukrainian citizen and I was living in a country called Ukraine, and that the fields our whole family has always worked were now Ukrainian fields. I had never heard of anything like that before. We are Russians, we have always been Russians. Why did we have to be Ukrainians? This spring, the head of our village told us we were going to be part of Russia again, that everything would be taken care of. That made me happy because Russia is my motherland, it is my home, it is where I belong. But nobody told us that there would be war again. My family have suffered in wars like all the families here. My family have fought for Russia in those wars. We defend Russia but we have done nothing against Ukraine. Why are they trying to kill is? Will Russia protect us?”
When we were ready to leave, we offered to take Gennady back to his farm. He said he would stay with his mother and would walk back later, as he did every day. Every day when his work is done, Gennady walks to the neighbouring village where he has supper with his mother, who is looking after her sick sister. After supper, Gennady walks back home. Normally, this would take him around twenty minutes through his fields but since MH17 had crashed, Gennady had started taking the road because he did not want to disturb the crash victims. The walk now took him around forty minutes. He is a farmer; you can see from his face that he has been working all of his life outdoors, in all kinds of weather; a devout, hard-working, honourable man.
On this day, an attempt had been made to murder Gennady and his close neighbours by shelling a populated area which has no military emplacements, encampments or objectives, and which the government had declared a cease-fire zone. The direction of the inbound shells showed that they had been fired from positions between the two road-blocks manned by Ukrainian irregulars wearing Azov Battalion and Right Sector insignias —the very same units who had denied us access to the area because of supposed ongoing “military operations.”
In the weeks following these events, some of the people involved have received explicit threats which are being taken very seriously by the authorities.
“Col. Tulip”
SLAVYANGRAD.org 
Thank you Babeuf for posting this excellent article. It’s a relief to know the OSCE has seen things as they really are . . . AND admitted it. I’m surprised and impressed they approached your team directly. It’s also good to see this website still alive. I have been afraid for our other dear friend, who seems to have gone silent, and hope he is well and working for the cause of Novorossiya.
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Posted by konar | Oct 28, 2014, 23:32Just to clarify, the individual who passed this account on to us did so in a personal capacity, although they were indeed an official OSCE observer. Thank you for the kind sentiments and your consideration for our friend. They are much appreciated.
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Posted by babeuf79 | Oct 29, 2014, 04:28Thank you for this article.
But why is this person, acting in a personal capacity though they may be, refusing to give their name? This is a testimony to war crimes, and it would be much more powerful if it came from an identified witness. I for one trust you, but this article could easily be dismissed as complete fabrication—and if Kiev is ever asked about it, that’s exactly what they will do.
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Posted by Eleutheria | Oct 29, 2014, 10:03It is explained in the final paragraph. The reason is personal safety and safety of loved ones.
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Posted by babeuf79 | Oct 30, 2014, 01:33Do you know where these threats are coming from? Azov? I figured this person would be out of Ukraine by now, and that those thugs’ grasp wouldn’t extend farther than the country’s borders.
But just to be clear, I am in no way blaming your source for not giving their name.
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Posted by Eleutheria | Oct 30, 2014, 07:18this is so upsetting, the lies and total bullshit coming out of our western leaders, has been going on too long. I am ashamed by the ignorance and disregard by most of my fellow english speaking persons on this planet.
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Posted by demargot | Oct 29, 2014, 01:10I echo Konar’s thought.
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Posted by gerryhiles | Oct 29, 2014, 02:10The Nazi-worshipping OUN Banderistas have sworn to erase ‘Maskals and Colorados’ from ‘their Ukraine’. What else do you expect? This article is naive (or purposely diversionary) in the extreme..
Do you imagine that the Kiev Nazis and Pravy Sektor and Svoboda war-criminals are playing by ‘gentleman’s rules’ in this ethnic cleansing of ‘their lands’ ? If so, then Dream On.
OSCE has a considerable amount to answer for. It is by no means impartial, and posts its ‘findings’ on the Ukies SBU secret intelligence web-site. Well done OSCE!..
Maybe that is the tennis game, Amnesty International, OSCE and other pretend ‘humanitarian’ NGO’s (all funded by the west) just pretend myopia and short sightedness in the Ukrainian conflict, and never ever report the truth. ( because it would displease their US masters who control the Kolomoyskyis and the Yarosh’s and the Poroshenkos and other psychopaths of this world.)
If the OSCE had entered the crash site via Novorossia, then it would have got a lot more done, assisted by the militants, and not trying to negotiate access via the ethnic cleansers and Nazi sociopaths..
This is a purposely diversionary article, I think..
And what does that appalling last sentence mean?
“Some people have received explicit threats which are being taken seriously by the authorities”
Who has been threatened? With what? (presumably explicit actions which are not really worth mentioning, or we’d better not reveal anything, because we are supposed to be ‘impartial’) It seems to me that you are receiving salaries under false pretenses, and like the churches, keep quiet at all costs.
What authorities are taking it ‘seriously’? The Kiev Nazi authorities? Dear God.!. If so, then THAT SAYS IT ALL OSCE.!
Better to take up knitting and don’t pretend to do anything any to support human rights in this ethnic cleansing at all.
As a ‘humanitarian organisation, minus three out of ten. (Could have done so much better)
Unfortunately OSCE only manage to spell their name correctly, but very little else.
your disgustedly etc.
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 29, 2014, 06:16This ‘article’ is describing events which are entirely consistent with the new Ukrainian board game, played by the United Snakes..
The ‘game’ funds and raises Pravy Sektor, Azov, Aidar and all of the other Kolomoyskyi-supported and US funded war criminal military organisations, via banks like Ihor Kolomoyski’s PrivatBank, ie. The IMF illegally funds oligarch-owned banks and specifically funds oligarchs which control their own private armies.
PrivatBank has already been bailed out by IMF/World Bank, and the IMF has inexplicably and illegally funded PrivatBank against its own rules to eight or ten times the normal maximum IMF investment levels. No-one in Ukraine will ever repay these loans, and neither can they.
The ‘game play’ raises these oligarch controlled banks and fascist orgs to even greater power (with the eventual aim of an attempted coup with which to gain control all of Ukraine.)
The ‘game’ then pits the idiotic Yatsenyuk and Poroshenko and the other Kiev Banderites against the ‘in your face Azov Nazis’ and de-stabilises the whole of Ukraine in the accompanying ‘power struggle’.
US and European-made armaments are sold and used up at previously unknown rates. This ‘new war’ in Europe has of course its ‘goodies’, and ‘baddies.’
Ukrainian
This ‘new war’ is accompanied by a fast collapsing economy, further nation-wide suffering and killing, and a train-wreck and dysfunctional society, ready for the ‘knock down fire sale ‘ of all remaining industry, and exploitation of the widespread shale gas, bio-technologies, and mineral options.
The game ‘play’ is similar to and consistent with Jugoslavia’s destabilisation and post-Nato bombing and the destruction of all industry, along with the Jugo-infrastructure.
Almost the whole world vehemently hates a Nazi, so the mainstream media must recognise swastikas here and there, and more and more SS insignias and flags every day.
Atrocities and rapes and executions by Aidar and Azov and Pravy Sektor get more publicity in the main-stream media.
The media pretends to at last wake up and says.. ‘Gosh!..Can you believe it? There really are Nazis over there!’
The Euro and US ‘intelligentsia’ say irately.. “Well, we’ve been telling you that all along!” and finally think that something is being done, and that progress is being made.
In the ‘game’ the Kiev Nazis must be seen by the world to be the ‘rightful force’ in this conflict, so the game plays the ‘good and bad Nazis’ against each other..
United Snakes and IMF continue to fund Kolomoyskyi, and Kiev via more ‘illegal loans’. Poland, Sweden, Germany, Britain, and other assorted nations and the UN assist with arms. (further downgrading their own economies in the process, as is the United Snakes plan)
NATO valiantly steps in to vanquish the ‘Bad Nazis’ controlled by Kolomoyskyi after widespread conflict and ‘ Another Maidan’ which further destabilises the whole country and makes it ripe for another illegal political take-over of Verkhovna Rada..
NATO wins in the conflict via superior air power and ‘shock and awe’ tactics and a non-existent Aidar / Azov air-force..
NATO occupies and rules, and installs itself and its increased military bases and troops on the ground, right in Russia’s face and its ballistic missiles within reach of Moskva, with far reduced early warning capability on Russia’s part, as it has always wanted.
Coke-snorter Hunter Biden and Kolomoyskyi’s Burisma Holdings distribute all of the hugely lucrative fracking rights to friends and other oligarchs, cutting off Dutch Shell and Chevron interests,
Russia is denied South Stream and further EU gas sales, and has NATO right in its face. It can do nothing to resume energy sales via South Stream, because of US controlled Ukraine..Regardless of what Bulgaria and Romania say, America says;. ‘Energy shall not pass!’
The EU and Russian economies are on their knees, trying to assist in all the chaos (the EU, still incompetently trying to assist Kiev as always..)
Russia is trying to hold Novorossiya and Crimea together, and both further destabilise their own economies. .
The United Snakes economy as well as their military- industrial complex is much stronger.
US-appointed multi-nationals like Chevron and Dutch Shell profit hugely.
US has no economic competition any more to speak of, and all the EU economies are collapsing further.
Monsanto has captured the breadbasket of Russia and owns 90% of all the bio-diesel fuel outlets for all of Europe.
America via Burisma holdings controls the huge shale gas reserves and fracks without constraint or hindrance.
Russia is weakened significantly financially, via Euro switch to Ukraine gas and mineral resources.
The US distributes contracts to its companies and friends in Germany and other places to ‘rebuild Ukraine’ as it did in Iraq and Jugoslavia and other war venues.
The oligarchs and power brokers have more of anything they want, and the ‘man/ woman in the street’ is powerless and increasingly relegated to the status of a ‘dis-empowered menial consumer and a barely-surviving wage-slave’ as always..
GAME OVER.
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 29, 2014, 08:00OK you make some interesting points and you remind me a little of Joaquin Flores, but why the belligerence in your previous post and your apparent utter certainty in this one?.
How did the description of an OSCE prompt such antagonism in you? It is better than we’ve had from nearly all Western sources.
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Posted by gerryhiles | Oct 30, 2014, 06:23Hi Gerry..
To try to answer your points in order;
I do not think that my first post is ‘belligerent’ at all
I accept that I find apologists for murderers and war-criminals extremely hard to stomach, and very difficult to tolerate at all, and possibly some of that detestation and revulsion was apparent in my post.
If so, then I am very thankful, because being a passive observer of such organised war-crimes is not acceptable to me, and I shall never passively collude with such atrocity. I also think that it’s a human duty to speak out about these vermin (OSCE ) and other pretend ‘humanitarian’ NGO’s. If not, then what will human existence be worth, if thousands of lives can be so easily extinguished for gain.? Maybe we have just become used to such occurrences.
Maybe I’m wrong and I should find rape and garotting of pregnant women (or any women) and their summary execution, and the incinerating of innocent people alive, acceptable.. Yes, maybe it’s just me, and I’m far too sensitive..
Now, to the ‘amazing leak’ ? (or urine by any other name)
Obviously, if this ‘pretend’ but of course anonymous whistle blower wants to keep his/her job and his/her salary (for what? colluding with killers?? ) and to remain incognito, then that’s his/her perogative obviously..
I do not have to approve of such ‘diversionary trivia’ surely? and a criticism of an ‘article’ which I found worse than pathetic, is allowed? (Or not?).
My second post had no ‘certainty’ at all.. I just said what I think is a likely scenario, having studied for many months.vermin like Kolomoyskyi’s actions, his businesses, his methods of business, his take-overs,(as commented on also by a London Judge) and the people he profits from and colludes with, (the CIA’s Christine Lagard amongst others)
I have lived in Lugansk and know people like the filth Lyashko’s methods (and his madness and his many crimes) and think that the ‘game’ will pit the ‘pretend respectable Nazis’ against the ‘goodie Nazis’. There is no alternative, because it must be a dynamic system, with aims and objectives and goals to be scored and taken along the way, and not a static one.. It is static just now. because Russia is not jumping up and down and making waves, only quietly opening ‘voentorg’. So the game must have more movement, and be more polarised.
How can a ‘division’ in our perception of the ‘baddies’ occur, which will appear to be tolerable and rational to us? Only by separating the baddies and demon-ising one, and raising up the other.
Of course, they are all as diabolical as each other, but for purposes of the Neocon ‘game’ , this allows progress and movement, rather than stasis or possibly defeat for the OUN cause, (when the west eventually recognises all Bandera-worshippers as bad, and the incompetent Kiev Nazi killers cannot hide their swastika tattoos any longer..)
You say the ‘article’ was ‘Better than we’ve had from many western sources?’
Mmmm.. Actually I thought that the ‘article’ was one of the worst that I’ve had from any source.
.
It’s obvious from the drivel on the OSCE web-site, that it merely pretends to support impartiality, (it however states that it is impartial on its site) but it is extremely happy to pursue a ‘supporting and colluding -with line’ with the Kiev Killers..
(I would remind you that this colluding and supporting behaviour is also a war crime, and contrary to the Geneva Protocols and Conventions) so it’s not merely benign behaviour, ‘going through the motions ‘ of pretending to be an ethical organisation..
So is that OK? that ‘Humanitarian’ NGO’s are pathological liars (like their clients and Nazi paymasters) and is it acceptable that they collude with and support ethnic cleansers and war criminals? For me a resounding NYET!
OSCE even does this in print (collusion) on its site, by pretending that the Ukie ‘authorities’ are the ones who are under attack from vicious terrorists in the east!. ‘Spin is all’; as Tony-B Liar once observed after another one of his illegal wars..
Why should I ever tolerate or approve of people who encourage this terrible suffering and who are involved in ethnic cleansing and war crimes, and who pursue a stated NGO culture of ‘blame the victim’?’
To add insult to injury, they also do all of that courtesy of my hard-earned effing UK taxes.!!.
Maybe you can remind me.
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 30, 2014, 13:39Dear Richard McDonald Brown,
The article seems like a sincere description of events by a first-hand observer. The observer, apparently at great personal risk, has come forth unofficially to reveal what they’ve seen. The reason they are at risk, I believe, is that the OSCE is inherently pro-West. That is what makes the article so amazing. Members of the OSCE, as I gather from personal emails with them, endeavor to APPEAR to report what they see, and to never draw conclusions or express opinions. This is no doubt to maintain an impartial image. The article was written with typical constraint.
That the OSCE is far from impartial I know from direct communication with them. Again, this is the very thing that makes the article amazing.
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Posted by kennedy applebaum | Oct 29, 2014, 19:50Mr Applebaum;
Amazing..??
We must be reading totally different articles.. Mine was a load of shit, with a few comments like;
‘Oh what a jolly nice farmer we met ! He was poor ( a winner there) but really devoted to his land, and he went to see his really nice Mum, (again always a winner) whom he visited every day for a cup of tea or for din-dins. Then he walked home down the lane, as he had done every day, since he was little.’ (Dear God, get an effing bike!)
The only thing missing here is the ever-faithful dog waiting for him at the stable door at half-past four on the dot, (come rain or come shine) his trusty canine friend intent on their daily visit and the occasional bikkie and a slurp of tea straight from the cup.. ( if they’d both got their pensions, and were feeling well-off.)..
What an idyllic rural scene the amazing ‘author’ paints.. If only Dvorak’s New World Symphony had been playing in the background, it could all have passed for a Hovis ad.
There was also the ‘heart string-tear jerker’ part about his Mum’s sister who was a bit poorly at the time, and how his Mum slaved so selflessly for her.. Aye, that’s real devotion for you.. Gosh! we could almost be in a Catherine Cookson novel set in Sunderland!
But this lovely if somewhat sickly countryside ‘down our way’ fantasy takes the mind off the Kiev Nazi –induced carnage and the dismembered torsos, I suppose, which is of course its intent.
And then the;
How totally amazing it was that ‘we all so bravely saved him’ from illegal frag-weapons fired by Pravy Sektor or Azov or some other naughty war criminals (who have very little to do with Poroshenko or with the Nazi ‘authorities’ of course,) In fact Neo-Nazi-ism didn’t even show its little Nazi head all the way through! Now that’s really comforting.
Then it ended with the pathetic but still classic; “My chaps are jolly well going to tell the ‘authorities’ off for all of this!”
Alas, it should all have been a script for Monty Python.
All that it missed for the finale was the naughty Svoboda war-criminals and murderers having their legs slapped, and being sent off to bed without any tea,.
Pathetic in the extreme and not worth a light, and totally excellent whistle-blowing. (NOT)
————–
FACTS;
The OSCE as an inclusive platform and IMPARTIAL actor for stability in Ukraine.
(The statement (above) is taken from their web-site.)
and further on in the same OSCE web-site article.;
“Ukrainian authorities face a challenging task. They have to cope with grave violations of law and order and criminal acts in some parts of the country. At the same time, they have to remain responsive to legitimate political requests. If parts of Ukrainian society feel alienated from government, this is also because governance deficits have long been ignored.”
MY Opinion;
Yes, I agree.. The Kiev Nazis (whom OSCE supports and colludes with, without any reservations at all) ARE COMMITTING ENDLESS GRAVE VIOLATIONS OF LAW AND ORDER AND CRIMINAL ACTS IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND BLAMING IT ALL ON THE NOVOROSSIYA MILITIA.
If parts of Ukrainian society feel alienated?? ( how about a nice game of ballistic missiles anybody?)
And; ‘my friends, the Brave Investigators?’ Get real.. Anonymous and pretend whistle blowers who hide themselves, cover their asses, and can’t even tell it like it is.?
I’m so glad that the struggle against the Banderistan Nazis never relies on ‘people’ like these.
Do YOU think you’re Alienated? and if so, then how does murder and other atrocities make you feel?
How does the slimy OSCE expect people who are phosphorus and frag-bombed almost daily, subject to GRAD daily, and often ballistic-missiled and who’s daughters are raped, shot in the effing head and then thrown either out of a fifth story window, or kicked into a hole, to feel? ALIENATED??
Please give it a rest with such pathetic statements, supporting a travesty of an ‘organisation’ and their pretend ‘workers’ who take money under false pretenses, and ‘staff ‘ who suffer from a severe lack of any basic humanity at all…
But I suppose that if you support and encourage psychopaths, then some of it has to rub off somewhere, and your ethics are not going to remain intact for long, that’s for sure… (or at least they’re not going to be what they were)
It defies comment that these war criminal supporters ( OSCE) have all the sheeple here bowing down and supporting and approving such a pathetic article, and applauding a seriously biased and discriminatory NGO which is colluding with rape and torture and killing on a mega industrial scale.
(and which pretends to support the exact opposite) .
Slavyangrad.org occasionally publishes some serious garbage, purporting to be a ‘reasonable’ article, but this takes the effing biscuit.
It’s a wonder its ass isn’t really sore from sitting endlessly on the fence, while thousands of innocents are being slaughtered.
This excuse for a ‘publication’ is fast becoming a total waste of electricity, and day by day becoming more like The Kiev Post. (and that’s a very retrograde step for everyone IMO.)
Thank God for Russia, and for Cyber Berkuz.
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 30, 2014, 15:35Nobody is forcing you to keep reading. In fact if anything’s being wasted here, it’s your own energy and time. Feel free to catch up on the news elsewhere. Slavyangrad has only ever published what has already appeared elsewhere in a language that is inaccessible to large numbers of people. On this occasion we were approached by an individual who wanted their story published in their own words. We were and are happy to do so. It has no bearing on what we as an organization or as individuals may or may not think about an organization like OSCE. And while we supposedly sit on a fence, perhaps you can tell us what the view is like from your comfortable sofa from where you’ve evidently saved hundreds of innocent lives. On second thoughts, keep it to yourself.
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Posted by babeuf79 | Oct 30, 2014, 22:42Dear Richard McDonald Brown,
This is a reply to your comment that starts “Amazing..?”
Okay, you win. I’ll accept your point of view. The rest of us are not being hard enough on the OSCE. I can see that. The article still amazed me, in that an observer from that biased organization would come forth and express sympathy for Novorossiya. For that reason, I think the article was well worth posting on this website. But it is true the OSCE is heavily biased. My first taste of that shocked me. In an email exchange with Dieder Birkhalter’s (sp?) office, I was informed, four weeks before the Minsk protocol, that the OSCE fully supported Poroshenko’s “peace plan”. I was so taken aback, indeed so emotionally shattered, since at that time I thought the OSCE more impartial, that I could not reply to his email with any civility for several weeks. Perhaps we should quit playing this game of pretending the OSCE is impartial at all. But what organization, then, can serve as a go-between? That is a practical problem that should be addressed.
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Posted by kennedy applebaum | Oct 30, 2014, 21:26The fascism of Sparta | vgiannelakis
http://vgiannelakis.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/the-fascism-of-sparta/
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Posted by rizes | Oct 29, 2014, 09:09@BABEUF79
Someone had to say it (about Richard). He reminds me of that “historian” character being ultra-moralistic/pedantic and effectively throwing out the baby with the bathwater with articles he found fault with.
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Posted by gerryhiles | Oct 30, 2014, 23:12I think it is worth taking a few moments to straighten this out. We are all obviously on the same side of the fence. I realized Richard Brown, when I read his comment for the third time, is simply so deeply emotionally affected by the atrocities in Donbass, he is apparently not in a state of mind to discuss these issues with philosophical detachment. I can’t fault anyone for that. In fact, maybe that state of mind is actually the most appropriate. Nevertheless, the article was published with sincere intentions, taking time and effort on the part of those who posted it, not to mention the risk to the one who came forward.
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Posted by kennedy applebaum | Oct 30, 2014, 23:52Reblogged this on EU: Ramshackle Empire.
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Posted by jimsresearchnotes | Oct 29, 2014, 14:43@babeuf79
You folks on slavyangrad are doing a great job: it’s refreshing get insightful articles on the sheer depravity (1984-Orwell-style) that is occurring in Ukraine without having to deal with the hysteria and mercurial emotionalism (and bipolar shifts in editorial positions) at Saker’s blog (a site that is increasingly become bereft of meaningful articles).
That said, I have to agree with Richard McDonald Brown that this recounting by “Col Tulip” reads like a work of fiction rather than a true testimony. Perhaps, Mr. RM Brown could have been less harsh in his criticism, but the gist of what he’s saying has legitimacy, he strikes me as an individual whose sick and tired of being lied to or watching the rest of ‘us’ being lied to or being manipulated into propagating disinformation (inadvertently or otherwise). It is possible that this OSCE individual knowingly wants people to buy the lie that OSCE is an impartial albeit naive organization that is suddenly discovering impropriety from the EU’s murderous allies in Kiev (in addition to spreading the disinformation that Kiev is not responsible/aware-of or in control of Right Sektor atrocities). At the same time I don’t think it’s right of Richard M Brown to denigrate this site or the intentions of Brabeuf79 and others. These people have put in alot of hardwork and dedication (for free on their own time) to bring the view only available in languages we’re illiterate in (Russian, Ukranian, etc.).
Richard, in future, perhaps you could address your concerns to the staff at this site in a more respectful and less adversarial/accusatory manner. Your sarcasm and disgust at the Mainstream Western Propaganda Media is justified, but not at the volunteers at this site (try not to conflate your contempt for the paid media with the labour-of-love conducted at this volunteer site/blog).
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Posted by Horler | Oct 31, 2014, 01:49Thank you. I can only say that these are Col. Tulip’s personal reflections. In this account (s)he is not asking anybody to believe anything about OSCE or its official pronouncements or positions, or making any claims for its ‘impartiality’. They were merely an operative who was sent to observe a particular situation the nature of which shocked them to the extent that they wanted the story to be known. Neither the author, nor slavyangrad for that matter, are, in this instance, making any claims beyond that.
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Posted by babeuf79 | Oct 31, 2014, 02:23Perhaps I can add perspective with personal experience of “whistle-blowing”, which Col Tulip is doing in a far more lethal situation than myself {I give the benefit of doubt the s/he is genuine).
In any case, for over a year now, I have been embroiled in having reported abuse and an assault at an aged-care facility and, as soon as the management found out, I got libelled, slandered, harassed, victimized and even had a veiled death threat, plus anonymous phone calls and other attempts at intimidation.
Obviously I am not in the same league as Snowden, Assange and other whistle=blowers, but unless Richard has actually bitten the bullet on some cause, he is simply not qualified to criticize Col Tulip, because he has no real idea of what even lowly PTB can do, let alone States, the CIA, Mossad, etc..
It is all very well to cast judgement at a safe distance, but something else to put yourself and/or your family on the line.
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Posted by gerryhiles | Oct 31, 2014, 04:30Firstly, please understand that I did not mean that the STAFF and volunteers at Slavyangrad.org were bereft of any moral principle at all, I meant the OSCE ‘staff’ and their apologists and ‘workers’. I am genuinely sorry if that was not clear, and if it is so, and was inferred by my incompetence and my lack of clarity, then I apologise sincerely.
In reply to the babeuf post that I should go elsewhere for my ‘news’ I would say that I do, and I find Vineyard of the Saker excellent and very informative. It seems that any critique is extremely unwelcome an any context here, and from my point of view that is a pity. I recognise that others are perfectly OK with the situation. Each to their own, I hope.
.
The amazingly brave but anonymous whistleblower;
Given the preponderance of dis-information from MSM and other sources which only increases as wars escalate on our planet, I have never ever been convinced that the original ‘Tulip’ post was/is genuine at all.
The mainstream media is obviously taking Kiev Killer atrocities on-board at last, albeit slowly, and this IMO ‘pretend leak’ (or what is in reality only a fairly innocuous comment,) seems to be a benign example of that.
GCHQ and NSA have hundreds and hundreds of staff doing this sort of thing all day long (and on night-shift ) providing dis-info for the different world time-zones.
It is (in my opinion) a part of an engineered and a pretend new stance on the mainstream media’s part, and I consider that this ‘sudden recognition’ of Ukie war criminals a ploy to polarise the internal Ukie conflict.. One of the reasons for ‘internalising the conflict is that even the stupid neocons don’t want to push the Rodina too far.
Causing dissent (or appearing to) between the Kiev Nazis and the ‘uncontrollable’ Kolomoyski-led fascisti (who are also controlled by the CIA) is preferable, and it’s much easier to destabilise Ukr completely by this method, than by endlessly snapping at Russia, and alienating all of Europe by insane actions which might escalate into an actual radio-active earth- finale for everyone…
Indeed, if ‘Tulip’ it is all dis-info, then what more credible source could it appear to come from, than a pretend whistle-blower employed by a corrupt and lying NGO which pretends impartiality, but acts out the exact opposite.? IMO, it’s very credible that this is benign dis-info.
To answer the ‘if you haven’t been to the front lines and taken hits from the the bullets, then shut your mouth; critiques, I would say that I do have at least some involvement in the ‘problems’ the Kiev Killers have caused in Novorossia.
My wife, Elena, is from Lugansk, We have walked together many times in the park where the Sukhoi 25 dropped the first air-to ground frag-weapons on civilians and killed eight people including Lugansk’s Chief medical Officer.
We, like many of our friends have lost our property there (we owned an apartment in Heroes of Stalingrad housing complex. in the outskirts of Lugansk) we are not well-off, and relied on the small rent it provided. We cannot afford this.
My mother in law of eighty years fled Lugansk to the family dacha and has been living there since the civil war started, with no electricity and no water pump, (to pump water for 2,500 sq metres (2.5 x decares) of produce ) She has done it by hand all summer, drawing water from the well in a bucket. This is no easy task, and she prays every day for rain. The food that the dacha produced was put into jars and used by all of my extended family all year until next autumn.
She has had no pension, (pension was her only source of income) and no phone (because of no power for her mobile) to contact her family at all. She has subsisted on eating only vegetables from the garden all summer, but now she has no money for gas for heating or cooking, and she lives by candle-light, and there are no banks or cash lines working and no post, so it is impossibly hard to get money to her. Cousins or other family members have to go there by train from other Oblasts, and take money personally (but all are refugees and have no cash).
Of course, I realise that our situation may appear trivial, and it is so, compared to some of the hardship that the Ukies have caused, but it has certainly had an effect on my wife, and on myself, and the worry and stress is considerable and ongoing, especially if the war escalates again soon, as is very likely..
All of my extended family and Ukrainski relations-in- law are refugees and have fled Lugansk since May, apart from my Mum-in law, recently widowed, who chose to stay at the family dacha.
To answer the ‘I am not in enough of a philosophical state of mind to discuss these issues dispassionately’ charges, I would say that IMO ‘a philosophical state of mind’ is the last thing I would want to possess, confronted with these atrocities..
regards
richard
bg
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 31, 2014, 06:20There have been plenty of posts on this article made by you which were openly hostile to the article but were nonetheless passed by the moderator. It was only when you attacked the integrity of my team that you got a response from me, even though your comment could have simply been blocked. So for you to claim that “It seems that any critique is extremely unwelcome an any context here” is totally disingenuous.
Secondly, for you to say “Slavyangrad.org occasionally publishes some serious garbage, purporting to be a ‘reasonable’ article, but this takes the effing biscuit. It’s a wonder its ass isn’t really sore from sitting endlessly on the fence, while thousands of innocents are being slaughtered” and then claim it was OSCE’s rather than Slavyangrad’s staff you were having a go at, is stretching things beyond plausibility.
I am sorry for your situation if you have family out in Novorossiya, but we have staff here who are in as bad, if not worse, a situation. And in fact there are people who don’t work for us and whom we’ll never know (and whom you’ll never know) who are in a much worse situation; so try and rein in your soilipsism when you next visit your Florida-based celebrity blogger. I believe he has a much lower tolerance than we have demonstrated so far. In fact the last I heard, any mention of either Slavyangrad or Gleb Bazov will earn you an immediate ban from his blog.
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Posted by babeuf79 | Oct 31, 2014, 12:46Secondly, for you to say “Slavyangrad.org occasionally publishes some serious garbage, purporting to be a ‘reasonable’ article, but this takes the effing biscuit. It’s a wonder its ass isn’t really sore from sitting endlessly on the fence, while thousands of innocents are being slaughtered” and then claim it was OSCE’s rather than Slavyangrad’s staff you were having a go at, is stretching things beyond plausibility.
I wasn’t referring to that comment, as you would know if you had read my post.
As I said in the relevant post, I was referring to the comment that I made about ‘staff being devoid of any basic humanity’ (meaning OSCE staff.) Please try to read what I said, I stated it twice, so the post I was referring to should be readily apparent. Unfortunately, you still seem confused.
To reiterate; From my point of view any critique IS unwelcome here, and your continuing posts against me only reinforce that opinion. Do I need to spell it out further.?? My statements are not disingenuous at all. I respond as I see and experience, and I experience intolerance of any criticism at all, mainly from you..
Today’s article I thought excellent, (I’ll say it again;) EXCELLENT! about the new divisions of DPR/Novorissiya (and I said so as soon as I read it)
However I have thought OCCASIONALLY (as I again said previously) that I considered some articles published here in the past to be rubbish..
I DID SAY Slavyangrads ass should be sore from sitting on the fence etc.
Of course..it is there in black and white..
Why did I say it?
Because I think that it SHOULD BE SORE and that it DOES SIT ON the FENCE.
(NB. my capitals are not intended as shouting, but are because you don’t enable highlighted script)
If you consider those statements as attacks on your team’s integrity, then that is unfortunate. I would think it was rather a lack of clarity in stating exactly what your mission statement is, and what your actual stance is.
A reader can only know either via materials presented surely?
The ‘occasional rubbish’ reference (apart from the ‘Tulip’ nonsense, was to an article by a French writer here… Eric..Someone ?? (I forget)
If that was a reflection of your ‘as stated’ stance on the ‘Ukrainski situation; then your stance is indeed very unclear.
Regarding critique; Is an opinion not allowed ?, or if I have one then am I certainly not to post it?
In my opinion (again) if you can’t allow criticism and just want a load of ‘yes people’ as readers, and if you think that you get it right every time and are far beyond any critique, then IMO, publishing is possibly not the correct outlet for your abilities.
Maybe readers without opinions would be much better for you? although I would say that an organisation without feedback is an organisation doomed to failure.
To answer your last point (AS I SAID AGAIN IN MY POST) my circumstances may APPEAR TRIVIAL and indeed THEY ARE when compared to other people who have suffered under the Kiev Nazis. etc.
Please try to read what I say and what I refer to, before you attack endlessly.
rmb
bg
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 31, 2014, 14:06Dear Richard McDonald Brown,
I’m moved by your story and grateful you presented it here.
I want to clarify that I agreed with you in my earlier post. You said above, ” To answer the ‘I am not in enough of a philosophical state of mind to discuss these issues dispassionately’ charges, I would say that IMO ‘a philosophical state of mind’ is the last thing I would want to possess, confronted with these atrocities.”
I apologize that my meaning wasn’t clear. I had not intended to make a “charge”, but rather to give a CONFIRMATION of your state of mind. I had said that your state of mind, ie. the state of NOT wanting to discuss the atrocities in Donbass with philosophical detachment, is probably THE MOST APPROPRIATE state of mind given the circumstances. So in the final analysis, I was in complete agreement with you.
Regarding Saker, I have always had the feeling he deliberately stirs controversy, and that is why disagreement is so welcome on his website. My impression also is that he has no direct personal connection to Donbass. I understand the founders of the present site had deep connections to Donbass, and so Slavyangrad has evolved more as a platform for shared viewpoints among sympathetic people. Only my impression, of course.
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Posted by kennedy applebaum | Oct 31, 2014, 21:01Hi Kennedy. I am sorry that I misinterpreted your meaning. Therefore my sincere apologies.
regards
richard
bg
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Nov 1, 2014, 06:32An addendum to my above comment. Bear in mind that Saker too gets upset, and says so, when commenters attack him personally or criticize his website.
The creators put a great deal of effort into these sites, with possibly the only reward being that people will appreciate their work.
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Posted by kennedy applebaum | Oct 31, 2014, 21:23“It is possible that this OSCE individual knowingly wants people to buy the lie that OSCE is an impartial albeit naive organization that is suddenly discovering impropriety from the EU’s murderous allies in Kiev (in addition to spreading the disinformation that Kiev is not responsible/aware-of or in control of Right Sektor atrocities” [Horler]
Yep, this is my impression, too, @Horler.
Richard just wanted to hint at the dubious picture, which is painted by the self-proclaimed OSCE-eyewitness:
1) Regular Ukrainian Kiev-forces are obeying responsible orders by state officials (ceasefires), acting like peacekeepers.
2) War crimes are committed by irregular and anarchist extremists with no connection to Kiev and firing cluster shells at civilians all on their own.
3) OSCE members have found a heart for Russian civilians at Donbas and act as active ‘Life-Savers’.
The truth would be more along the lines:
1) Regular Ukrainian Kiev-forces are the main responsible actor for the shelling of civilians with heavy artillery – as NazGuard/Azov/RightSector are still lacking Heavy Weaponry till today – beside the occasional (smaller) mortar.
2) NazGuard/Azov/RightSector were officially directed by the Interior Ministry at Kiev as part of the official Police Forces to ‘punish’ civilians BEHIND the frontline – it was only later in the conflict, that the ‘police force’ had to go to full-out war, as the Ukrainian Army was crumbling and deserting.
3) OSCE had officially closed its eyes in front of every conceivable war crime at Donbas right from the start – as it was nothing more than an institutional SPY of the Western Forces.
By the way – if your Body Armor gets impailed by cluster shell fragments, then your head or legs or arms would be torn off. Body Armor does not protect you against Anti-Personnel Granades/Bombs.
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Posted by Historian | Nov 4, 2014, 19:13To add to my comment: I rather resent Richard’s implication that I (and others) don’t care about the atrocities he rightly rails against, but as if he is the only one here with strong objections.
None of us would be here if we did not support Novorossiya and oppose the Empire of Chaos, detest the Bliar and so on, but Richard does not have monopoly rights on how all that should be expressed, especially if he has not taken any action putting his own existence at real risk, like Col Tulip has and I have in less lethal circumstances.
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Posted by gerryhiles | Oct 31, 2014, 05:02Gerry.
I have had intermittent internet connection for days since the storms and so my responses are miss-timed and out of sequence. Please excuse same.
I agree in part with what you say and wholeheartedly with some of your other statements. I have no intention in telling anyone how or what to feel, and of course I have no monopoly on moral outrage at all.
I did not imply that you or others here don’t care about the atrocities..I asked you whether it was OK for the OSCE to be a corrupt org, whilst purporting to be an NGO with ethics and an ethical stance. I said ‘no’ for me it isn’t.
I agree that if it is unfit for purpose that a debate is relevant about what should replace it. (although how to do so is of course another matter.) and replacing billion dollar non-Governmental organisations, with their headquarters in Switzerland, is far beyond my experience.
Of course I sincerely wish there were more ‘strong objections’, because IMO that is the only thing that will change anything in this terrible situation..
I think that my comments have been misunderstood by many, and I am sorry for that, and I apologise if offence has been taken.
Of course I recognise that everyone here is looking at the conflict from the same perspective.
Personally,and with direct relevance to your own experience, I am of a mind that anyone who stands up against any incorrectly acting authority ( especially to support the elderly and other disadvantaged, who constitute the most vulnerable of our society ) against common and often institutionalised brutality, is doing the very best action possible; Correct action.
A society is correctly judged IMO on how it treats its disadvantaged and disenfranchised.
I still however think that ‘Tulip’ does not fall into that category. It is disinformation and does not stand up to examination, (but of course, I may be wrong)
If stripped of the embroidery, then what has really been said (although emotively?)
“Azov fired illegal frag weapons at us? (no, ‘Tulip’ did not specify ‘illegal’ ) and they are not illegal anyway, because Ukraine is not signatory to the Geneva Convention.. The OSCE is however bound under those Geneva Protocols. (not that it cares)
They (Azov or someone similar and from the Ukie side ) fired them at innocent villagers and hit us? ” No, they only implied that it was Azov or Aidar or someone, but with their usual ‘opt-out of personal NGO responsibility’ clauses, it could easily be argued by the Kiev Killers that it was all done by the Novorossia militia. (as usual) It is circumstantial evidence at best.
And, if they were actually fired on, then it is very well known that Kiev has been doing this (and very much worse ) for many months, so IMO nothing new here at all.
Does the assumed ‘source’ of the story add depth and culpability, and credibility? Undoubtedly, but it does not change the fact that these actions are very common in Ukraine up to this point in the conflict. The OSCE part of the story gives no credibility anyway, (apart from the reason ‘Tulip’ was there at all) because it was stated that such views were independent and not sourced from that organisation…
IMO the pretend whistleblower description is only consistent with the planned MSM change of tactic.
If thousands of people shout ‘Nazis!’ then how long am I going to pretend that they don’t exist, and retain any credibility? Ten, or twenty minutes?
IMO, ‘Tulip’ (and the ‘Colonel.’ designation is to me, a nom-de-plume addition only to give more credibility) is mere dis-info from the OSCE who are happily ensconced in the CIA cabal of the western MSM-owners. along with the equally corrupted, big ‘voluntary sector ‘ western NGO’s (like Amnesty International and others) the UN, the IMF/World Banking/Fed Reserve banking sector, the military industrial complexes, the security sector, and the other organisations who are controlled from outside their sphere of governance, and who manipulate conflicts, support killing, and who fund atrocities in different theatres, for increased power and for their own personal gain.
just my 20 kopecki-worth.
richard
bg
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Oct 31, 2014, 14:45WE KNOW that Kiev shot down the Boeing, we know they try to blame Russia or Novorossia, we know USA helps Kiev to lie, we know the facts. Let us bring it to the world. REPOST!
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Posted by neo | Oct 31, 2014, 15:40@babeuf
You are completely correct in your characterization of the so-called tolerance for dissent at Saker’s blog. In addition, you’ve correctly pointed out that Richard did not solely direct his ire at the OSCE but at the staff of this blog too.
Richard is also completely off base in even implying that Saker invites disagreement. – Not if that disagreement is directed directly at Saker and his editorial judgement.That individual often will go off on a hysterical tirade totally off the deep end. If Richard had used similarly abusive language against “THE” Saker he would have been thoroughly savaged and any retorts Richard would try to post to defend his position would be censored and he would be banned (under his registered name).
Even if a critic manages to avoid invective and corner the Saker based purely on logic, Saker will fall back on the bizarre practice of quoting from the bible when seems to have no substantive or logical argument left to him. I once saw him do this to a reader that criticized an article Saker had published on his blog by a an ex-South African Special forces commander (a veteran of the Angolan war.) The article by this South African Veteran criticized the human rights abuses by Kiev run Right-Sector battalions; I.e. death-squads that murder women children and old men. The reader pointed out to Saker it was hard to take serious the sincerity and credibility of the South African author when the Special Forces unit he himself commanded in during the angolan war was known to have carried out death-squad activity itself: killing Angolan villagers (women, children and elderly) either directly or via their local terrorist proxy, Jonas Savimbi (a raping butcher). From what I could gleen, it didn’t seem that the reader was trying to attack Saker, simply trying to point out that such articles would damage the blog’s future credibility, in other words, the reader was trying help bu offering constructive criticism for the benefit of Saker. It was embarrassing to see Saker abruptly end the discussion with some bizarre and unconnected quote out of his bible. Saker could not bring himself to face the fact that he had made a mistake, instead he was invited attacks on the reader position from other readers (which no one did, because the reader was right and Saker was in an indefensible position); it was pathetic.
In comparison, this blog is orders of magnitude more tolerant of dissent and willing to entertain criticism (especially if it constructive and meant to help strengthen the blog’s credibility). And this from people with actual flesh and blood endangered by this conflict, not some romantic armchair Russian nationalist living safely in warm semi-tropical Florida.
Richard your threat to frequent the Saker’s blog is phyrric, Saker’s blog has been bereft of any substantive article for almost 2 weeks because “he’s busy” (due technical issues), that’s why you’re here. In any case, slavyangrad.org is usually a couple of days ahead of Saker’s on most updates regarding the Donbass.
Note how you have been able to mention offer Saker’s blog here, if you had tried to mention slavyangrad.org on Saker’s blog, you’d have been instantly banned (Saker has explicitly stated this as part of his moderation policy, it is in writing). So you are completely off base on your assertion about which blog is more tolerant of an opposing view or criticism.
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Posted by Horler | Nov 1, 2014, 06:371) , Saker’s blog has been bereft of any substantive article for almost 2 weeks because “he’s busy” (due technical issues)
(IMO) excellent articles yesterday. The site domain is changing, and the articles appear on either the old site or the new and you have to scroll down to see them sometimes, because the order of posting is incorrect. Maybe you missed them.
,2) “That’s why you’re here. In any case, slavyangrad.org is usually a couple of days ahead of Saker’s on most updates regarding the Donbass.”
I am here because I have been a reader here @ slavyangrad.org for very many months. (whilst in parallel visiting the Vineyard of the Saker and countless other sites where I also post) It’s not any of your business to determine or to assume why I am here anyway and unless you are telepathic, you will undoubtedly (as in this instance) be incorrect..
3) Note how you have been able to mention offer Saker’s blog here, if you had tried to mention slavyangrad.org on Saker’s blog, you’d have been instantly banned (Saker has explicitly stated this as part of his moderation policy, it is in writing).
I have personally discussed articles posted here with Saker (outside his blog), and have appreciated the time he allowed to me to do so, in his busy schedule.
4) So you are completely off base on your assertion about which blog is more tolerant of an opposing view or criticism.
I haven’t had any opposing views or criticisms of the Vineyard of the Saker site at all, so I don’t know about that.
I do think his wider perspective (and his much wider network of sources and contacts inside Russia for example ) very valuable.
I have had some differing views of ‘Russia Insider ‘articles, but recognise that I shall never see the Ukrainian conflict from Charles Bauman’s perspective, and that ‘this is the life’.
In a ‘broad church’ (sorry to use a Biblical analogy) I would have thought that all input is welcome (at least for me) and equal. But I may be wrong. I may personally value different web-sites to different degrees, but I imagine that’s my perogative.
Please feel free to read what you want also, it’s not my job to censure people’s reading habits.
Please also feel free to say what you want, (I am all for freedom of speech, and welcome critique) but don’t necessarily expect me to give any value to any of it.
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Posted by Richard McDonald Brown | Nov 1, 2014, 07:52No matter what you pretend to say now, the fact is you are here and you are reading the articles here and are obtaining benefit from doing so. If Saker’s blog was fully meeting your requirements you wouldn’t be here taking benefit and supplementing your knowledge. That’s not telepathy that’s straight forward deduction and observation of hypocrisy.
Your comments were over the top offensive and you tried obfuscate your error by claiming that you were not attacking this blog staff when explicitly did so; babeuf
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Posted by Horler | Nov 3, 2014, 03:20Babeuf Did an excellent job of pointing that out to you (quoting you directly).
Finally, I reiterate if you had used that kind of language on Saker’s blog he’d have permanently banned you. Therefore you cannot use Saker’s blog as a reference point for a site with a more ‘tolerant’ commenting/moderating policy than here.
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Posted by Horler | Nov 3, 2014, 03:25Regarding Saker: I posted a comment on his blog yesterday with a link to Colonel Cassad’s article here on Slavyangrad. This was a test case. Indeed, Saker DID NOT post my comment. That is the first time a comment of mine has failed to post on Saker’s site. This confirms that he is boycotting Slavyangrad. But why? When Slavyangrad was first founded, it was announced as a “sister site” to Saker. And the sentiments of the two sites are certainly aligned. Still, this may not be Saker’s fault entirely. I know he’s afraid of his site being shut down. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he’s been warned about something and is trying to stay cool.
Saker’s always been fair to me, but then again, I’ve never attacked him. However, I’ve been fiercely personally attacked by some of his commenters, accused of being a troll, a racist, and so forth. There have been times when I stayed off his site for weeks as a result.
I do not get my news from either site, but from advanced searches on Twitter, using a long string of related search words. This exposes me, of course, to links to both Saker and Slavyangrad, as well to innumerable other sites. For me, it’s the easiest way to get the news fast.
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Posted by kennedy applebaum | Nov 1, 2014, 19:07Good God, the comments! I think Brown was drunk.
Anyway… it does not surprise me me one bit and I’m grateful this man contacted you guys to share his story. Even the MSM reported the OSCE having to turn back, more than once, because of shelling. It’s quite obvious why this was the case: Ukraine shot down MH17 and feared the OSCE would find evidence of that fact. If you recall the hacked Facebook chat pointing straight at Kolomoisky’s involvement (in attacking the airliner) it’s also no surprise that it was his Nazi goons being so intimidating.
Now, if Slavyangrad could get something from someone in Malaysia we might find out the real reason they allowed the enemy to have control of those black boxes and the investigation. I suspect they were threatened to play ball or they would see some kind of Islamic shitstorm, created by the CIA, like ISIS.
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Posted by R_of_R (@R_of_R) | Nov 4, 2014, 18:35