Russia, Ukraine feud over sniper carnage

[dipsydoodle]

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- One of the biggest mysteries hanging over the protest mayhem that drove Ukraine's president from power: Who was behind the snipers who sowed death and terror in Kiev?

That riddle has become the latest flashpoint of feuding over Ukraine - with the nation's fledgling government and the Kremlin giving starkly different interpretations of events that could either undermine or bolster the legitimacy of the new rulers.

Ukrainian authorities are investigating the Feb. 18-20 bloodbath, and they have shifted their focus from ousted President Viktor Yanukovych's government to Vladimir Putin's Russia - pursuing the theory that the Kremlin was intent on sowing mayhem as a pretext for military incursion. Russia suggests that the snipers were organized by opposition leaders trying to whip up local and international outrage against the government.

The government's new health minister - a doctor who helped oversee medical treatment for casualties during the protests - told The Associated Press that the similarity of bullet wounds suffered by opposition victims and police indicates the shooters were trying to stoke tensions on both sides and spark even greater violence, with the goal of toppling Yanukovych.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UKRAINE_SNIPER_MYSTERY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-03-08-02-52-48

[jakeXT]

1. It's pretty clear that members of the new gov will never blame themselves

Last edited Sat Mar 8, 2014, 08:13 AM - Edit history (1)

[CJCRANE]

2. Sometimes the details get lost in the chaos

especially with an incurious media.

[MattSh]

3. Of course they blame Russia...

that's their modus operandi. No matter what the problem, blame Russia first.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. And Russia blames them, modus operandi, rhetoric, rhetoric, yadda blah.

nt

[ReRe]

4. Betcha our all-knowing earthly eye-in-the-sky, the NSA, knows who did it.

Doesn't Ukraine have an investigative bureau, like our FBI? They should be able to figure out where the snipers were shooting from, with ammunition from where (where manufactured) and with what kind of rifle(s), if all the shots came from the same rifle from one position or more, no?
Hell, a bunch of us here at DU could probably go over there and figure out who done it.

[jakeXT]

6. When I hear eye in the sky, I think of the NRO (The National Reconnaissance Office)

They could, but do they want to ?

“So that she then also showed me some photos she said that as a medical doctor she can say that it is the same handwriting, the same type of bullets, and it’s really disturbing that now the new coalition, that they don’t want to investigate what exactly happened,” Paet said.

http://rt.com/news/ashton-maidan-snipers-estonia-946/

[geek tragedy]

7. Sure, they were probably doing the shooting. nt

[Igel]

10. That's what the pro-Yanukovich folk want to think.

All that nice link shows is distrust and that the people shot by snipers were all shot by the same group of snipers.

"Understanding" requires a subject. I can "understand" something that's utterly false. It's a good high-falutin' synonym for "believe" or "think."


That the new admin doesn't want to investigate can be for a lot of reasons. They may already believe they know and think it's a waste of time. Perhaps they simply have more pressing matters--say, getting a government formed and stabilized, dealing with breakouts of violence and self-proclaimed pro-Russian leaders in the East, coping with financial problems. Perhaps they really were behind it. Or perhaps they figure it's a lost cause since most of the people who would have appointed the snipers and probably the snipers themselves are gone. (Remember where the snipers were: Not on the buildings held by the maidentsy but on other buildings, some government-protected. Sure, a sniper could manage to infiltrate, but you'd expect some to be caught and the government protectors to perhaps go to the roof.)


Simplest explanation for why both sides were hit: Snipers weren't careful or wonderfully trained. Miss your target, hit the wrong guy. From a distance confuse two people.

Don't buy that it was Russia's doing. Still think that Yanukovich had the troops, control over the sniper nests, had the fewest injuries sustained to his side, and had the most to gain. Motive, opportunity, means. Only in hindsight, as a result of the way the sniper incidents actually played out, can we retcon motive into the events for the opposition.

[geek tragedy]

11. what I meant to convey is that the state apparatus that Yanukovych owned a few weeks ago

is going to be doing the investigating.

He's the most plausible suspect unless and until something concrete says otherwise.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. Again, why does Russia see fit to weigh in on the matter?

Given that the events unfolded in the Ukrainian capital.

Just more Russian meddling.

[stevenleser]

9. It's part of the crap Russia is throwing at the wall to try to justify their unprovoked war

of aggression. They are hoping something or somethings will stick enough to where they won't suffer as much in the court of international opinion.