WAR. Kutadgu Bilig, 11th century, Karakhan State, Central Asia “Kutadgu Bilig explaining the Turkish thought on state and society clearly and plainly.

WAR

Kutadgu Bilig, 11th century, Karakhan State, Central Asia

• “Kutadgu Bilig explaining the Turkish thought on state and society clearly and plainly also reflects Turkish understanding of war and art of war. In this respect, it is possible to determine main aspects of “Turkish Art of War” from Kutadgu Bilig.

• It is stated that the war is “the last solution that can be applied against enemies who are ignorant, evil, not in favour of peace and unjust.” Additionally some advices about various topics of art of war are given to the rulers and commanders. The most important subject stressed on the book is to be cautious. Furthermore, themes like courage, generousness, politics and stratagem, recruitment and arrangement, determining the place of rest and headquarters, intelligence, strategy and tactics, activities before and after war, treatment of dead and injured soldiers are pointed out.”

“Preemption doctrine"

• The most controversial part of the NSS of 2006, first introduced in the post-9/11 NSS issued in 2002.

• That doctrine is repeated in the 2006 NSS. Referring to the possibility of a terrorist attack using WMD, it states:

• "Under long-standing principles of self defense, we do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy´s attack. When the consequences of an attack with WMD are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialize. This is the principle and logic of preemption."

• It is the policy of the United States to seek and support democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world. In the world today, the fundamental character of regimes matters as much as the distribution of power among them. The goal of our statecraft is to help create a world of democratic, well-governed states that can meet the needs of their citizens and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system. This is the best way to provide enduring security for the American people.

• KIEV, Ukraine — For two weeks, the mysteriously well-armed, professional gunmen known as “green men” have seized Ukrainian government sites in town after town, igniting a brush fire of separatist unrest across easternUkraine. Strenuous denials from the Kremlin have closely followed each accusation by Ukrainian officials that the world was witnessing a stealthy invasion by Russian forces.

• Now, photographs and descriptions from eastern Ukraine endorsed by the Obama administration on Sunday suggest that many of the green men are indeed Russian military and intelligence forces — equipped in the same fashion as Russian special operations troops involved in annexing the Crimea region in February. Some of the men photographed in Ukraine have been identified in other photos clearly taken among Russian troops in other settings.