United States Assessment Of The Downing Of Flight Mh17 And Its Aftermath

[ichkeria]

The US Embassy in Kyiv (no doubt inter many alia) has issued this within the last minutes

http://ukraine.usembassy.gov/statements/asmt-07192014.html

[Gromit]

Chill

// You make it sound as though they did so via tanks and arming of factions loyal etc. //

That was not my intention. Everyone knows that the EU have taken in these strays by agreement with both parties. It would be stupid to claim it was a military operation, which everyone know it wasn't.

[ChillDoubt]

It would be stupid to claim it was a military operation, which everyone know it wasn't.
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Then why use the terminology 'captured vast swathes'??

Capture
verb 1. take into one's possession or control by force.


Your smokescreen is thinning Gromit.

[Gromit]

Oh dear. Niggling over words or terminology.

1. to take by force or stratagem; The police captured the burglar.
2. to gain control of or exert influence over: an ad that captured our attention.

The police captured a burglar does not mean they used force.

I suppose I could have posted that...
The EU had gained a lot of the old Soviet Empire, or
The EU have taken much of the old Soviet Empire.

Same meaning. The EU have welcomed a huge area of land and millions of people that were once under the Russia's influence.

That's enough herding cats for today.

[royfromaus]

a lot of the old Soviet Empire have joined the EU.

[ChillDoubt]

That's enough herding cats for today.
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I think it's more a case of you've made a cats @rse of your argument!