President Biden stepped up his rhetoric against Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday by accusing the Russian leader of “genocide” in Ukraine.
“Yes, I called it genocide,” Biden told reporters in Iowa as he was boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. “It’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being a Ukrainian.”
Earlier in the day, Biden implied that he believed the war in Ukraine amounted to genocide. Russia has been accused of slaughtering hundreds of civilians in Bucha, but Moscow denies the allegation. There is evidence that civilians were killed, but it’s not clear if they were executed by Russian troops.
Also on Tuesday, a senior official with the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency told Newsweek that the amount of civilian deaths in Ukraine “hardly” amounts to genocide. “It is ugly … But we forget that two peer competitors fought over Bucha for 36 days, and that the town was occupied, that Russian convoys and positions inside the town were attacked by the Ukrainians and vice versa, that ground combat was intense, that the town itself was literally fought over,” the DIA official said.
“I am not for a second excusing Russia’s war crimes, nor forgetting that Russia invaded the country,” the DIA official added. “But the number of actual deaths is hardly genocide. If Russia had that objective or was intentionally killing civilians, we’d see a lot more than less than .01 percent in places like Bucha.”
If Biden’s standard for genocide is civilian casualties in a war, then the US would be guilty in the many wars it has waged in recent history. The New York Times recently revealed the massive civilian casualty rate in the US’s war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. During Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, a US drone strike in Kabul killed 10 civilians, including seven children. No US officials or troops were punished for the slaughter.
The DIA official stressed to Newsweek that the civilian casualties in Ukraine are typical of any modern war. “If we blame all the damage on Putin, as if he commanded it and that it is due solely to Russian war crimes, we are going to walk away from Ukraine with some illusion in our heads that modern warfare can be fought more cleanly, that the Ukraine war is an anomaly solely created by Russia’s behavior. This war is just demonstrating how destructive any war on this scale would be,” the official said.
The DIA official also said that if all the claims about civilian deaths were true, it’s more of a reason to end the war through negotiations. “But for those who think tens of thousands have died and Russia is intentionally killing civilians and pursuing genocide, I say that’s even more of an argument to find a diplomatic solution to cease fighting. But nothing is going to happen in the coming days or weeks to change the reality on the battlefield. That’s why stopping the fighting should be our highest priority,” the official said.
President Biden and his administration have shown little interest in pushing for a diplomatic solution and are instead pouring weapons into the war zone. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hasn’t spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, since February 15, over one week before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Whoever that “senior official with the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency” was should be the Secy of Defense. Or perhaps president.
Stepping Up Rhetoric, Biden Accuses Biden of ‘Genocide’ in Ukraine
Despite his constant posturing, I agree that he certainly isn’t blameless.
I opposed the Vietnam war when I was young, just like every other US interference since; however, until the Iraq war, I always wanted to believe that the US was a relatively “benign hegemon.” For me, the Iraq war changed all that. It wasn’t so much the cynicism of the war (which is to be expected), but the sheer stupidity of it, which revealed an unprecedented intellectual and moral depravity. Going by Biden’s war rhetoric, the unthinkable has happened, the US and the EU have fallen to an even greater intellectual and moral depravity.
While no outside power can defeat the greatest war machine of all time, the moral depravity of the West cannot not lead to its decline. I feel sorry for the next generation that’s sleepwalking into its own undoing.
I didn’t want to believe it. But it is time for Harris and the Cabinet to confront Biden about seeing a mental health professional.
Add Putin’s mental health to that medical appointment, please.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You need to be in a comedy sketch with Zelenski.
Maybe I do but you are still the one with 43,000+ comments here.
If you listen to Putin talk about issues, albeit through an interpreter, you’ll find that he’s perfectly rational. He’s a smart, logical man. Biden is quite old, could be he’s in early stage dementia. Regardless, most people’s mental state has deteriorated by the time they are 79 yo. What’s just as frightening is that there are several members of Congress that are even older than Biden.
The fact that this DIA person deliberately undercut Biden’s statement shows that the Pentagon is fighting heavily against expansion of this war by the US. They may be the only faction in Washington doing so.
I certainly hope so.
“Genocide” means something, and this is not it.
It is coming to mean, “Our enemies did it.”
Actually, the DIA source is confusing genocide with holocaust.
Holocaust applies to mass murders, often with hundreds of thousands or millions of victims. Genocide is defined by the 1951 international convention on genocide and applies to murders or other acts committed with “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
Schools to forcibly assimilate Native American children where the children are forbidden to speak their language, practice their religion, be with their parents or tribe is genocide under the UN convention.
“In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c)
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to
bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/in…
They’re throwing in and recycle everything in the playbook but to no avail. Russia still doesn’t pick up the phone when Pentagram or the crazies in the basement with war queen Nudelman at the front, now running the show, calls.
Meanwhile entire Russian cities waives goodbye to their loved ones on their way to the front. They’ve been here before.
Yesterday 1026 ukies of the 26:th marine brigade including 126 officers in Mariupol surrendered after a failed breakout attempt. Good for them. (Z)elensky the Saint knew it was over but still ordered them to break out and promised reinforcements if they made it to a point further ahead. It was a lie. There was no and he had no troops to send. He would rather send them to a certain death than let them surrender but luckily things didn’t turn out that way.
Left in the Azovstal ironworks and it’s seven storeys underground are the Nazi’s, a couple of hundred or so regulars above them who do the fighting and whatever Nato and Macron is soooo desperate to get out. These can no longer do any harm to the civilians so they will be smoked or flooded out….
The only person sending troops to their the Death is Saint Putin. Ukrainians are defending their land from an invading superpower using their military strength to steal more land with a cheap Neo Nazi excuse that is only achieving ethnic cleansing to connect Russia, Donbass, and Crimea. Ukraine didn’t invade anybody. A free sovereign country that can have deals and agreements with any country they want. Lying Putin deserves every bad outcome that comes his way.
Tell that to the Cubans.
And the Iranians, Syrians, Libyans, Iraqis, Somalis, Venezuelans + …
US is leveling cities in Cuba and stealing their land. Yes, I will tell them that.
I know you get it. You just cannot be a troll.
The only potential Russian Troll here is you. You are the one with over 43,000 comments. That requires a minimum 12 hour job with overtime pay.
That is certainly the goal of the U.S. The U.S. invaded Cuba, the U.S. poisoned Cuba’s crops, the U.S. tried to assassinate Castro, the U.S. sanctions and embargoes Cuba.
Bring the past to justify the present actions of Putin? Protest about US actions abroad, that’s good and they need to be held accountable too but let’s not accept Putin’s actions based on history.
Our treatment of Cuba is the present.
yes, cities are being presently leveled. Many refugees fleeing to neighboring islands. Don’t preach me on Cuba. I support the Cuban cause. Tell your crap to the Republicans and anti Cuba movement in Florida.
Biden just increased sanctions on Cuba. Doesn’t matter which party is in power. The song remains the same. U.S. foreign policy never really changes.
I would never defend US policy toward Cuba. But at the present time the US has not invaded Cuba or shelled its cities. More significantly, you can’t refute a charge by saying the accuser is also guilty. There is overwhelming evidence that Russian soldiers committed war crimes during the present invasion of Ukraine.
No overwhelming evidence of Russia war crimes exist.
Both sides are spreading propaganda. But the cumulative weight of visual images, eyewitness reports and satellite imagery shows that a lot of civilian targets are being hit and a lot of civilians are being killed during the invasion and occupation. The evidence is a lot more convincing than the false false alleged chemical attacks in Syria.
I don’t think I can help you. You’ll have to dig farther on your own.
The fact of any large-scale war is overwhelming evidence that war crimes will be committed by all forces party to that war. The next large-scale war in which that doesn’t happen will be the first, and there won’t be a first.
Whether war crimes or not, there will be civilian deaths in any war. The fact that the civilian death toll in the Ukraine is so low is proof that the Russians are being careful to avoid civilian deaths.
If you know what the civilian death toll in Ukraine is, you know more than the Ukrainian regime, the Russian regime, the US regime, et al.
One doesn’t need to know the exact number of deaths. It’s likely that the Ukraine regime has exaggerated the number of civilian deaths. Even that exaggerated number is quite low. Ukrainian/western PsyOps/propaganda has piled the BS deep. I don’t believe anything until it’s proven. Unfortunately, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”–Churchill or Twain. But you should be suspicious of the one-sided reporting and the claims that Ukraine purely noble and good while Russia is pure evil. The world doesn’t work that way. If you want to get to whose fault this war is, you need to go back to the 2014 U.S.-inspired overthrow of the democratically elected government of Ukraine. Biden was involved. Who knew Biden could be so evil?
“I don’t believe anything until it’s proven, except whatever the Russian Ministry of Defense says.”
Fixed, no charge.
I’m well aware of the circumstances leading up to the war. Putin had valid security concerns vs. NATO. The LPR/DPR had reasonable claims to independence.
But it was Putin who decided to launch the “special operation.” He owns that. And the consequences, including the civilian casualties his troops do inflict, however many that may be. And including, likely, two new NATO states, one with an 830-mile border with Russia, and Ukraine as a de facto NATO state.
He rolled the dice and set the pass line when he backed LPR/DPR in 2014. Understandable. Then he rolled the dice again with the invasion, and they’re coming up craps.
Before the invasion(s) Russia had less than 2% of its borders with NATO, not many NATO soldiers stationed in the border countries, no missile bases there (except 1 *anti-*missile base in Poland I think…), a Ukraine nowhere near joining NATO and actually legit Russian military presence there until 2042 at least (Crimea naval base).
After the “special operation” to stop this awful “encirclement”, looks like Russia might be looking at an 8% border with NATO (Finland + “de facto NATO” as you put it for Ukraine), much more hostile neighbors/EU/etc, likely massive military buildup on that border, massive increase in NATO military spending and NATO support among populations, huge bill for the invasion, and sanctions.
Good job.
Putin’s popularity seems up though, so the *real* objectives might have been achieved. And this is what some call a patriot, sic: https://original.antiwar.com/buchanan/2022/02/24/did-we-provoke-putins-war-in-ukraine/ “Putin is a Russian nationalist, patriot, traditionalist and a cold and ruthless realist looking out to preserve Russia as the great and respected power it once was and he believes it can be again.”
You talk like the war is over. What would you say if soon Ukraine ends up pushing the Russians out of Donbass like they did in Kyiv and Putin ends up with less land than before he started? Nothing, you will join Putin in declaring victory.
Apparently, you’re aware of nothing. This is entirely the fault of the U.S./NATO. Putin tried to negotiate a way around the SMO. Biden dismissed his requests out of hand. None of this was reported well in the western media. Just as the overthrow of the Yanukovych government with U.S. assistance was not reported. As to how this will end, we’ll have to see. I suspect that Putin did not know the extent to which the Ukraine was already a de facto NATO member. None of us did. It was another secret U.S. military/State Dept. operation.
Outcome is already decided.The only question is when will the drug addict comedian Zelensky will be taken away
by the handlers to his 35 million house in Florida
“Saint Putin” is using kid gloves. Were he to have followed our playbook, utilizing “shock and awe”, the place would be a burned out cinder.
“Putin deserves every bad outcome that comes his way.”
Yes, Putin is to blame for this disastrous war of aggression. But the Russian people don’t deserve to share his disgrace if they come to their senses in time. And certainly, Russia’s allies who have played no part in the Ukrainian aggression (Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran) are blameless. Significantly, none of these countries voted against the first UN GA resolution (11.1) condemning the Russian aggression, although they oppose sanctions.
don’t you say the same on twitter?
DYN that Twitter is going to ruin Facebook just as soon as Starlink is our rescue from a blown infrastructure like it is offered in Ukraine now? access denied!
Did you see the Viasat modem hack on the 24th, a half hour after Putin went on air ? Everyone’s internet was offline. Why use the media to hack it later? It makes no sense unless it fits the propaganda. Putin warned Trump of the Ukrainians and we took it as lies and manipulations but it is true, they hacked our election, they had the server! Right now the hackers are phone spamming Russians with ‘news’. It’s laced with malware. Wait until the phones go dead!
makes no sense but Elon has a rescue!
Elon has 5g Starlink and FLUBOT, he can’t lose!
That is why he schmoozes for subscribers!
Mr. Dog and Pony show!
“coming to their senses in time”?
Elons garbage barge left the docks and that boat has sailed!
Biden has been involved in the undoing of Ukraine since 2014..or before. He was involved in the 2014 violent coup that overthrew the democratically elected Yanukovych government of Ukraine. He refused to negotiate with Putin/Russia on Ukraine and NATO’s expansion to the east. Now, Biden “holds Zelenskyy’s coat” while Ukraine fights Russia. The SMO could have been avoided. Biden, far more than Putin, is guilty of genocide.
And then, what rhetoric remains in Biden’s toollbox? He talks way too much for a president. Sounds almost as CNN headline generator.
No point in talking. US has painted itself into corner by pushing Russia into response — and inevitable escallation.
Biden administration has done what two previous Clintin administration faiked to do — and were enraged for failing. Clinton administration tackled Balkans and NATO expansion, neocons saturating Bush administration engineered Orange revolution in Ukraine, and organized Georgia attack on South Ossetia.
Obama’s — second Clinton administration — organized 2014 coup in Kiev. But it resulted in Crimea return to Russia and sanctions failed to weaken Russia. Quite to the contrary, sanctions were the godsend. Domestic food production flourished, with world’s top export of grain. It also became a priority to develop science and military technology.
Biden’s neocons insured that US reaches the point of no return. That it has to escallate, separating Europe from Russia. All the efforts Russia put into building relationships with European countries, including Munsk Agreement — all in vain.
The circumstances have changed drastically since 2014. This time Rusdia cannot afford to leave Zenski in power at the end of a day. He knows that all the promissed military help will not reach Ukraine military, as it is already degraded and without abikity to maneuver.
All Buden’s money for military goes to military corporations, and will be sold to Europe under some loan arrangement.
Russia is again using strategic deception as in the case of Kiev. Before while at Kiev’s door, effectively took all access to Azov Sea as well as Crimea attached Kherson, including the estuary od Dnyeper. Now, witjh focus in Donbas — it is hard to say what real aims are.
If Russians committ horrific acts it is genocide and war crimes.
If America and Israel committ the same horrific acts it is collateral damage and
well … they were terrorists anyway.
Well said, Dave!
ZioJoe is actively supporting the attempted genocide of the Palestinian people!
I’d like to see Biden explain how what the Russians are doing in Ukraine is significantly different the “Shock and Awe” less than 20 years ago. According to a Johns Hopkins study more than 100,000 Iraqis were killed in the first year of that war as a direct result of military action by US and their allies. Biden was a supporter of that war. The Russians deserve condemnation, but Biden’s self righteous indignation is hypocritical.
This hyperbolic guano from an angry old man who doesn’t know what planet he is on.
Just go to a permanent rest home Joe.
The unnamed DIA official quoted in the article shares the common confusion about the difference between holocaust and genocide. Holocoust applies to mass murders, often with hundreds of thousands or millions of victims. Genocide is defined by the international convention on genocide (1951) and applies to murders or other acts committed with “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
For example, outlawing speaking a native language, or practicing native religion or taking children away from their parents or forcible assimilation of indigenous people into mainstream groups are genocidal acts if they are intended to eliminate the entire group.
Even though Israel has not killed Palestinians at a holocaust level, I believe that the targeted assassinations, the control of Palestinian school, the interference with Muslim religious practices, the revocation of residency and citizenship, the apartheid in every aspect of life, the settlements amount to an attempt to erase the Palestinian identity and trat the Palestinians as generic Arabs, or Jordanians. This amounts to genocide, but not yet a holocaust.
The massive killings of civilians in the Ukraine are not holocaust level killings. But there is a history of Russia and the Cossacks taking genocidal actions against Ukraine such as banning indigenous language, culture, religion, Today, Russian chauvinists like Putin deny the legitimacy of Ukrainian nationalism. I see a real danger that Russian chauvinism that denies the legitimacy of Ukrainian national identity could result in genocidal policies. The danger grows the more the Ukrainians continue to resist the Russian invasion.
For anyone interested the United Nations definition of genocide from the 1951 Convention is:
“In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/x1cppcg.htm
Reference: https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/30390/male-only-conscription-won-t-help-ukraine-in-invasion-by-russia
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Every Ukrainian in Ukraine is a Conscript of ZELENSKI'S WAR.
The men who are there are no longer just citizens, they are standing military troops, not poor defenceless slav's.
Genocide cannot be attributed to the engagement of enemy combatants. Zelenski does not get to Conscript Ukrainians and also say they are innocent civilians. He cannot have it both ways and then declare his rag-tag militia cannon fodder was the object of Genocide. No!
The militias of Ukraine are not professional soldiers aware of Geneva War rules. Geneva is supporting NATO fascism too so there is no more sweet neutral Switzerland is there ? Rules of war and engagement don't seem to matter much any more but Russia is killing Nazis and if Zelenski's army are aligned with Nazi politics, they are all fair game in war.