Sunday 30 March 2014

Beers and bruises at HK 7s





  • Hong Kong provides the social showpiece of the HSBC Sevens World Series

  • The rugby tournament has been running for four decades

  • Fiji has won the title for the past two years




CNN's Rugby Sevens Worldwide show follows the circuit through nine cities. Click here for times, videos and features.


(CNN) -- The annual sporting jamboree is the highlight of the social calendar for rugby fans who flock to the Hong Kong Stadium in their thousands.


Fancy dress and beer-fueled boisterousness are the order of the day for many of the 40,000-strong crowd as a party atmosphere descends on the city for three days at the end of March.


On the pitch, 28 teams will battle it out in a total of 71 matches with defending champions Fiji looking to repeat their recent success at the Japan Sevens.


Read: How to survive the Hong Kong Sevens



Vanuatu's land-diving daredevils






Diving boards are designed to snap and hinge downward to absorb much of the divers' G-force. The wood is freshly cut to ensure strength, while the vines are carefully measured and matched to the each diver's weight and height.Diving boards are designed to snap and hinge downward to absorb much of the divers' G-force. The wood is freshly cut to ensure strength, while the vines are carefully measured and matched to the each diver's weight and height.


Before the land diver leaps, a troupe of around 100 men and boys wearing only penis sheaths begin chanting in Sa, the language of southern Pentecost.

Before the land diver leaps, a troupe of around 100 men and boys wearing only penis sheaths begin chanting in Sa, the language of southern Pentecost.


When the crowd reaches fever pitch, the diver crosses his arms against his chest and makes an incredible leap outwards.

When the crowd reaches fever pitch, the diver crosses his arms against his chest and makes an incredible leap outwards.

Held together by vines without a single nail or screw, each tower takes 30 men up to a month to build.Held together by vines without a single nail or screw, each tower takes 30 men up to a month to build.

Land diving is only permitted in the months following the wet season to ensure the vines contain water, which lends them elasticity and strength. Land diving is only permitted in the months following the wet season to ensure the vines contain water, which lends them elasticity and strength.

The tower is built from timber and vines collected from the hills around the jump site.The tower is built from timber and vines collected from the hills around the jump site.


Land divers start out as young as five, though they jump only from low planks on the tower. The highest planks are reserved for the most accomplished jumpers.

Land divers start out as young as five, though they jump only from low planks on the tower. The highest planks are reserved for the most accomplished jumpers.


Instead of dangling in the air like a bungee jumper, divers actually skim their chests against the ground, which has been heavily tilled to absorb impact.

Instead of dangling in the air like a bungee jumper, divers actually skim their chests against the ground, which has been heavily tilled to absorb impact.


European missionaries banned land diving on Pentecost Island in the early 20th century. But the priests never reached this rugged southeast corner of the island.

European missionaries banned land diving on Pentecost Island in the early 20th century. But the priests never reached this rugged southeast corner of the island.

The death-defying dives are performed each Saturday, from April to June. This picture by Tim Clayton from the Sydney Morning Herald of Vanuatu's land divers won the World Press 2007 award for best sports action shot. The death-defying dives are performed each Saturday, from April to June. This picture by Tim Clayton from the Sydney Morning Herald of Vanuatu's land divers won the World Press 2007 award for best sports action shot.









  • For three months of the year, Vanuatu's Pentecost Island hosts dramatic land-diving ceremonies

  • Divers climb 100-foot towers, tie vines to their ankles and leap headfirst to the ground

  • Concussions, ruptured spleens and broken vertebrae are common




(CNN) -- "The first time you do it you feel a bit nervous, but after two or three times, it becomes normal, like rugby or boxing or any sport."


Fidael Beaf could easily be describing bungee jumping.


But the 44-year-old Vanuatuan is talking about something far more terrifying than bouncing on the end of a piece of elastic.


Every year from April to June, the Vanuatuan island of Pentecost hosts one of the most spectacular and death-defying cultural ceremonies ever conceived.


Known as the Nagol, it sees men climb flimsy 100-foot wooden towers and dive headfirst into empty space, with nothing to break their fall but vines tied their ankles.


My journey to meet Beaf and his fellow land jumpers begins on a stifling hot Saturday morning as I board a 17-seat Chinese turboprop in the capital Port Vila.


The flight to Pentacost isn't for the easily rattled, though passengers are rewarded with epic views of Benbow and Murim, active volcanoes on the island of Ambryn.


An hour later, the pilot touches down at Lenorore, a small runway squeezed between the jungle-clad mountains and volcanic beaches of Pentecost's west coast.


Ours is the first of the day's five planes, all bringing in tourists to land at what's more of a concrete bunker than an airport.


Organizers say a maximum of 50 tourists are allowed to attend the weekly ceremony to prevent over-commercialization.


A portion of every ticket helps pay for children's school fees and church programs.




Before the land diver leaps, a troupe of around 100 men begin chanting.

Before the land diver leaps, a troupe of around 100 men begin chanting.



Dysfunctional marriage


Ironically, European missionaries banned land diving on Pentecost in the early 20th century, but the priests never reached the rugged southeast corner of the island, where the ritual was passed on to successive generations.


The ritual is said to have its roots in a legend about a dysfunctional marriage.


MORE: Big thrills: 50 ways to be a daredevil


So the story goes, a woman decided to flee into the jungle to escape daily confrontations with her spouse.


Hotly pursued by her husband, she ran up a tree then tied a vine around her ankle and jumped from the top, landing safely.


The husband followed suit but without the aid of the vine he hit the ground with a fatal splat.


Inspired by the woman's act of defiance, the women of Pentecost began land diving for fun.


But uneasy with seeing the women dangling from trees in compromising positions, the island's men called an end to their fun and stole the activity for themselves.


Over time, land diving moved from trees to purpose-built towers.


It's also been transformed into a ritual rife with religious symbolism -- the success of the all-important yam harvest is said to depend on the courage of the previous year's divers.


After the last plane touches down, we're shepherded to a clearing in the jungle where the impressive tower known as a "Nagol Adi" stands upon a treeless slope.


MORE: World's 15 highest bungee jumps


Held together by vines without a single nail or screw, this outwardly phallic shrine takes 30 men up to a month to build.


Deadly mistakes


At its center is a lopped tree surrounded by a crisscross of pole scaffolding lashed together and anchored into the earth by vines.


Protruding from its face are a dozen diving planks, the lowest of which is for boys who start diving from the age of five.


The highest is reserved for the most accomplished, with a successful jump -- one that doesn't cripple or kill the diver -- delivering wads of social capital.


Despite its primitive appearance, the Nagol Adi is a marvel of intelligent design.


The diving boards are designed to snap and hinge downward to absorb much of the divers' G-force, the wood is freshly cut to ensure strength and vines are carefully tailored to each diver's weight and height.


Diving is only permitted in the two months following the wet season to ensure the vines contain the water that lends them elasticity and strength.


Adherence to religious customs is also considered essential to a diver's safety.


While the tower is being constructed, divers live together in men-only huts and avoid contact with women -- a ritual said to clarify their minds.


As belief in sorcery is widespread in Vanuatu, divers are also prohibited from asking witchdoctors to supply them "love potions" during this period.


On a few occasions when the rules have been bent, it has cost lives.


When Britain's Queen Elizabeth II visited Pentecost in February 1974, a diver died when his vine snapped during an out-of-season Nagol held in her honor.


In 2008, Vanuatuan cameraman Hardy Ligo was killed when a poorly constructed tower collapsed under his weight during a Nagol that some said had been held too close to the yam harvest.


Breaking wood


The moment the Nagol begins, it becomes apparent why people come from all corners of the world to see it.


On a terrace cut into the hill behind the tower, a troupe of about 100 men and boys wearing only penis sheaths begin chanting in Sa, the language of Southern Pentecost.


Without warning they break into a dance, stomping their feet intently into the ground as women in grass skirts emerge from the trees, adding their voices to the melee.


One of the dancing men emerges from the group, scampers up the tower and finds his way to the lowest diving board.


Minutes pass as the frayed ends of two vines are tied around the volunteer's ankles.


Below, the chanting and dancing intensifies.




Land diving takes place after the wet season to ensure vines contain water and have elasticity and strength.

Land diving takes place after the wet season to ensure vines contain water and have elasticity and strength.



Once the vines are secured, the diver spreads his arms wide and calls out for emotional support from the dancers.


The crowd's yelps and whistles reach fever pitch, the diver crosses his arms against his chest and makes an incredible leap of faith, trying to put as much distance between himself and the sharp edges of the tower.


Braver than bungee


When the vines go taut, the sound of breaking wood cracks through the clearing, as the plank gives way.


Instead of bouncing in the air like a bungee jumper, the diver plummets to the ground, skimming his chest on earth that has been heavily tilled to absorb impact.


Assistants rush in, pull the diver to his feet and confirm he's in one piece.


The crowd roars with approval.


Happily, all 12 land divers emerge unscathed on this day -- an unusually good safety record.


But the divers remain well aware of the risks.


Among them, 33-year-old Michael Olul scornfully dismisses comparisons with thrill seekers who use elastic ropes.


"Bungee is not so brave," he says.


Few who have seen the Vanuatu land divers in action would argue.


MORE: World's 100 best beaches


Getting there:


Air Taxi Vanuatu (+678 5544 206) offers day tours to see the land divers of Pentecost Island every Saturday in April, May and June for 44,000 vatu ($426). Six-seat Cessna aircraft depart from the capital of Port Vila at 8:30 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. Includes scenic flight over volcanoes, spectator fee for land diving, lunch on Epi Island and chance to swim with rare dugongs, a large marine mammal related to manatees.


Air Vanuatu Tours (+678 23 848) also offer day tours inclusive of airport transfers in Port Vila, airfare to Pentacost Island, spectator fee for land diving and lunch at Pentecost Island for 36,000 Vatu ($384).



Dubai's trippy light festival






French composer and stage director Damien Fontaine projected a work of cinematic theater, in which two characters go in search of lost treasure, onto Dubai's Souk Al Bahar for the city's inaugural Festival of Lights.French composer and stage director Damien Fontaine projected a work of cinematic theater, in which two characters go in search of lost treasure, onto Dubai's Souk Al Bahar for the city's inaugural Festival of Lights.

For Dubai's Festival of Lights, artist Catherine Garet created Mysticete, in which she projected video mapping on a screen of water. The technology allowed her to create what looks like a whale frolicking in Dubai Lake.For Dubai's Festival of Lights, artist Catherine Garet created Mysticete, in which she projected video mapping on a screen of water. The technology allowed her to create what looks like a whale frolicking in Dubai Lake.

Groupe Laps, an artistic collective founded by lighting designer Thomas Veyssiere, put together an installation in which illuminated figures move and dance in tune to music. Groupe Laps, an artistic collective founded by lighting designer Thomas Veyssiere, put together an installation in which illuminated figures move and dance in tune to music.

French artist Bibi has created a 98-foot long, illuminated dragon that lives in The Palace Downtown Dubai Lake. Made with recycled materials and lit with LEDs, the beast leaves a minimal carbon footprint.French artist Bibi has created a 98-foot long, illuminated dragon that lives in The Palace Downtown Dubai Lake. Made with recycled materials and lit with LEDs, the beast leaves a minimal carbon footprint.

Standing 26-feet tall, this 'bouquet', designed by lingerie designer Chantal Thomass, has constantly morphing skin. An array of colors and textures are displayed on its exterior. Standing 26-feet tall, this 'bouquet', designed by lingerie designer Chantal Thomass, has constantly morphing skin. An array of colors and textures are displayed on its exterior.

Lighting specialist Daniel Knipper was inspired by painters Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian to project a fresco-style canvas of flowing colors onto Dubai's Old Town. Lighting specialist Daniel Knipper was inspired by painters Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian to project a fresco-style canvas of flowing colors onto Dubai's Old Town.

A spectator takes a photo of Big Tree, a light installation by architect Jacques Rival.A spectator takes a photo of Big Tree, a light installation by architect Jacques Rival.

Dubai developers Emaar have sponsored the city's first Festival of Lights, along with a hop-on, hop-off bus to charter people around the various installations.Dubai developers Emaar have sponsored the city's first Festival of Lights, along with a hop-on, hop-off bus to charter people around the various installations.









  • This week Dubai hosted its inaugural Festival of Lights

  • Many of Dubai's most famous structures have been turned into art installations

  • French city of Lyon has a similar event and helped Dubai create theirs




(CNN) -- Dubai's most impressive buildings are looking a little psychedelic this week.


In the Dubai Mall atrium, a chandelier made from steel cables dangles from the ceiling, emitting the type of strobe lighting more readily associated with disco balls. Illuminated beams pour out from the pinnacle of the Burj Khalifa, making the world's tallest building resemble a giant lighthouse.


In Burj Lake, home of the Dubai Fountain -- the world's largest water feature -- a hyper-realistic 3D hologram of a whale frolics in above the water. The Souk al Bahar -- a grand, Arabian-style bazaar -- has been transformed into a Disney-esque 3D cinematic feat;


French stage director and composer Damien Fontaine has used video mapping and LED projectors to create a visual narrative in which two characters go in search of hidden treasure.


This collection of more than 30 installations is part of Dubai's inaugural Festival of Lights, a 10-day event modeled on the version hosted every December in Lyon, France. In fact, the city of Lyon co-sponsored the event, along with Emaar Properties, the Dubai developers responsible for many of Dubai' most ambitious projects.


"We aimed to mark an extraordinary celebration of artistic creativity and light installations on a scale never experienced before in the region," said an Emaar spokesperson.


In addition to borrowing the concept, Emaar has also tapped the talent pool of artists, designers and architects that each year turn Lyon into an electric playground. Participants include Moroccan-born fashion designer JC/DC (aka, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac), who once designed a teddy bear coat for Madonna and French lingerie designer Chantal Thomass.


"The City of Lyon has set a global benchmark in festive lighting and it was an ideal fit to partner with them to bring the world's finest lighting concepts to Dubai," says Emaar's spokesperson.


The Lyon festival started out as a religious tradition, but has since evolved to become one of the most impressive entries on the global arts calendar. Set over four days, artists have been known to project flames onto churches, create animations to crawl up buildings, and graft holograms onto mist. The event attracts millions of visitors every year. While Emaar has yet to release any numbers, they noted the festival was "well received."



Wake up to the reality of climate change






A farmer and his children plant a field with bean seeds and fertilizer in southern Ethiopia in 2008, a year after severe floods destroyed most of the food crop. Ethiopia is the country 10th most vulnerable to climate change effects, <a href='http://ift.tt/16kLerz'>according to a 2013 report by Maplecroft</a>.A farmer and his children plant a field with bean seeds and fertilizer in southern Ethiopia in 2008, a year after severe floods destroyed most of the food crop. Ethiopia is the country 10th most vulnerable to climate change effects, according to a 2013 report by Maplecroft.

Manila, capital of the Philippines, is one of the five cities, all in Asia and all projected to be centers of high economic growth, that face "extreme risk" from climate change impacts, according to the Maplecroft report.Manila, capital of the Philippines, is one of the five cities, all in Asia and all projected to be centers of high economic growth, that face "extreme risk" from climate change impacts, according to the Maplecroft report.

Cambodia is among the Southeast and South Asian countries tipped to face an increased risk of severe flooding because of projected changes in seasonal rainfall. Cambodia is among the Southeast and South Asian countries tipped to face an increased risk of severe flooding because of projected changes in seasonal rainfall.

A fisherman sits in a boat on the shore of Lake Kivu in Goma in August. "There are no big fish because of the gas; we only catch small whitebait," one said of the carbon dioxide and methane that saturate the lake.A fisherman sits in a boat on the shore of Lake Kivu in Goma in August. "There are no big fish because of the gas; we only catch small whitebait," one said of the carbon dioxide and methane that saturate the lake.

Floodwaters course through Odo Ona in Nigeria's Oyo State in 2011. At least 102 people were killed when a dam burst during torrential rain.Floodwaters course through Odo Ona in Nigeria's Oyo State in 2011. At least 102 people were killed when a dam burst during torrential rain.

Tainted water pours into a containment pond in a Unity field processing facility in what is now South Sudan, where there are concerns about the environmental damage being caused by the oil industry.Tainted water pours into a containment pond in a Unity field processing facility in what is now South Sudan, where there are concerns about the environmental damage being caused by the oil industry.

Residents of Jacmel, Haiti, make their way through floodwaters as Tropical Storm Isaac dumps heavy rains in August 2012. An extreme exposure to climate-related events, combined with poor health care access, weak infrastructure, high levels of poverty and an over-reliance on agriculture have led to the country being categorized as at "extreme" risk.Residents of Jacmel, Haiti, make their way through floodwaters as Tropical Storm Isaac dumps heavy rains in August 2012. An extreme exposure to climate-related events, combined with poor health care access, weak infrastructure, high levels of poverty and an over-reliance on agriculture have led to the country being categorized as at "extreme" risk.

Felled trees lie on the mountainside just outside Freetown. African countries account for 14 of the 20 most at-risk nations.Felled trees lie on the mountainside just outside Freetown. African countries account for 14 of the 20 most at-risk nations.

Residents walk past the Parliament in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau. African countries rank as at high risk in the index, partly due to their natural susceptibility to events such as floods, droughts, fires, storms or landslides. But their high ranking is also a product of the vulnerability of the population and the inadequacies of existing infrastructure to adapt to or tackle climate change challenges because of weak economies, governance, education and health care.Residents walk past the Parliament in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau. African countries rank as at high risk in the index, partly due to their natural susceptibility to events such as floods, droughts, fires, storms or landslides. But their high ranking is also a product of the vulnerability of the population and the inadequacies of existing infrastructure to adapt to or tackle climate change challenges because of weak economies, governance, education and health care.

Bangladeshis attempt to stay dry above flood waters in the capital, Dhaka. Bangladesh was ranked by Maplecroft the country most vulnerable to climate change, and Dhaka the world's most vulnerable city, due to its exposure to threats such as flooding, storm surge, cyclones and landslides, its susceptible population and weak institutional capacity to address the problem.Bangladeshis attempt to stay dry above flood waters in the capital, Dhaka. Bangladesh was ranked by Maplecroft the country most vulnerable to climate change, and Dhaka the world's most vulnerable city, due to its exposure to threats such as flooding, storm surge, cyclones and landslides, its susceptible population and weak institutional capacity to address the problem.









  • Bill Richardson: New report says the science is clear: The world is warming in dangerous ways

  • Impact of climate change is being felt on every continent, the report finds

  • He says governments and companies are taking steps to respond to the threat

  • Richardson: Ultimately, setting a national price for carbon is the way to transition to the future




Editor's note: Bill Richardson is the former governor of New Mexico, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, former U.S. Energy Secretary, and a current board member of the World Resources Institute, a global research organization on environmental issues. He serves on the boards or consults with companies in the energy field. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.


(CNN) -- "Nothing poses a bigger threat to our water, our livelihood and our quality of life than a warming climate." Those are my words from 2006 upon the signing of an executive order on climate change for New Mexico when I was governor.


Almost a decade later, this statement still holds true. But now we have even more information about climate change, both the risks and solutions.



Bill Richardson


The just-released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a collection of more than 800 leading climate scientists, reaffirms that climate impacts are already occurring and having a dramatic impact on society. Climate change is driven by our dependence on fossil fuels and is expected to get worse. In order to shift directions, we need nothing less than to rethink how we power our country.


Here's what we know:


The climate science is settled. The IPCC report is the latest addition to a staggering body of scientific research connecting our energy choices to costly climate disruption. The report is consistent with several other authorities -- such as the National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Global Change Research Program, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- that bring stronger language and greater certainty about climate change and its risks. Just as we know that smoking causes cancer, we understand that human activity causes climate change.





deGrasse Tyson on climate change deniers




Climate change is not debatable




Expert: Sea levels make flooding worse

Climate change is happening now and we are all feeling the effects. Earlier this month, the American Association of Advancement of Science reminded us that "climate change is happening here and now."


We are now witnessing how it is changing our world: The past winter was the eighth-warmest on record. For 348 consecutive months -- 29 years -- global temperatures have been above average.


The latest IPCC report finds that impacts from climate change are "widespread and consequential" and they are being felt on every continent and in our oceans. The world last year experienced 41 weather-related disasters that caused damages totaling at least $1 billion. Over the past decade, the western United States experienced seven times more large-scale wildfires than it did in the 1970s. Climate change has made it much more likely that we will suffer severe droughts like the one that recently swept across Texas and my home state of New Mexico.


Finally, without action, things will get a lot worse. As climate impacts mount, they will bring more damage to our economy and communities. Even 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) of global temperature rise could cut yields of crops like wheat, rice and corn, driving up food prices. Unless greenhouse gases are reined in, many more people will be at risk from devastating flooding, similar to what residents faced in Boulder, Colorado, last year. Overall, economic losses from climate change will cause a significant blow to the global economy, even at the lower end of climate projections.


So what can we do in the face of a changing climate?


Fortunately, local leaders, including mayors and governors, are responding to climate impacts and building more resilient communities. For example, city officials from Chicago to Miami are taking steps to reduce urban flooding with permeable pavement, dampen extreme heat with green roofs, and redesign levies to withstand stronger storm surges.


At the federal level, the Obama administration has called for additional funding for climate resilience and just unveiled a climate data initiative to arm communities with better information about climate change.


But, it's clear that we need to do more. According to the IPCC, by significantly reducing emissions we can avoid the worst consequences of climate change and cut economic damages by half.


We're making progress already. Americans are embracing clean energy, buying solar panels at a record pace as the price has plummeted by 80% in just four years. Many large companies, like Apple, Google and Walmart, are investing heavily in renewable energy. Even ExxonMobil is among dozens of U.S. businesses now operating with an internal price on carbon.


And important new emissions standards are coming. Under the U.S. Climate Action Plan the president announced last year, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead with standards to reduce carbon pollution from existing coal-fired power plants -- the largest source of U.S. emissions. These rules are the most significant opportunity to cut U.S. emissions in the near term and will help the country play a leadership role in the run-up to a universal climate agreement in 2015.


The science tells us that much deeper reductions are needed in the decades ahead. Ultimately, a national price on carbon would be the most effective way to expedite a transition to a safer, low-carbon future.


The evidence is overwhelming: Further inaction guarantees disaster. Alternately, we can re-balance our energy mix and rise to the challenge of the 21st century. Let's hope that a decade from now we will look back with confidence that we stood up to the global climate crisis.


Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.


Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.



Spain: Not enough refugees receiving asylum


Half of all immigrants who jump the fence in Ceuta and Melilla are refugees but only 10% of them manage to receive asylum.


According to a report by the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) around half of the immigrants who jump the fences come from war-torn countries and should be given asylum in Spain although only around 10% of them receive it.


CEAR has presented a campaign to collect 100,000 signatures with which to ask the government to take away the concertinaed barbed wire from the top of the fence and to respect human rights.


CEAR explains that refugees “are people who never expected to have to leave their countries and ask for asylum in order to preserve their lives and physical safety.”


Carlos Berzosa, president of CEAR, has claims that the government is trying to make out that jumping the fence is a recent problem in order to justify its “repressive methods,” when in actual fact this has always happened at that border.


He goes on to say that only 5% of illegal immigrants come in through the fences in Ceuta and Melilla - the rest come in through airports, roads and trains.



Spain: Divorce rates are dropping


Divorce and separation rates continue to drop while the rate of annulments is on the rise.


According to a press release by the CGPJ (General Judiciary Council) in 2013 there were 1.7% less divorces and separations but 8.5% more annulments.


Unfortunately for the overloaded court system the ancillary cases that accompany annulments and divorces are the same; these include custody battles and alimony cases.


This drop in divorces, both by mutual agreement and non-consensual, has been attributed to, among other things, the expense involved at a time of recession.



Spain: Eviction rates falling


There were 184 evictions every day in 2013


A report released by the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) states that there were 184 evictions every day in 2013.


Cataluña was the most hard hit region with 23,8% of the total of evictions, Valencia had 14,6%, Andalucia was next with 13,8% and Madrid with 13%.


Meanwhile the number of mortgages taken out on properties was 82,680 which is a drop of 9,8% compared with 2012.


The number of insolvencies declared was 10,949 which was 6,4% more than the year before and marks a new historic maximum.



Does Obama really understand Putin?






Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training exercise at a military base in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 29. Ukrainian and Western officials have voiced alarm about Russia's reported military buildup on Ukraine's eastern border. Moscow has formally annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea region, sparking the biggest East-West confrontation since the end of the Cold War.Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training exercise at a military base in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 29. Ukrainian and Western officials have voiced alarm about Russia's reported military buildup on Ukraine's eastern border. Moscow has formally annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea region, sparking the biggest East-West confrontation since the end of the Cold War.

Demonstrators protest Friday, March 28, in Kiev displaying police vehicles they seized during earlier clashes with authorities.Demonstrators protest Friday, March 28, in Kiev displaying police vehicles they seized during earlier clashes with authorities.

Members of the Right Sector group block the Ukrainian parliament building in Kiev on Thursday, March 27. Activists called for Interior Minister Arsen Avakov to step down following the <a href='http://ift.tt/1o7zbbG'>recent killing of radical nationalist leader Oleksandr Muzychko</a>, who died during a police operation to detain him. Muzychko and the Right Sector are credited with playing a lead role in the protests that toppled Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovitch.Members of the Right Sector group block the Ukrainian parliament building in Kiev on Thursday, March 27. Activists called for Interior Minister Arsen Avakov to step down following the recent killing of radical nationalist leader Oleksandr Muzychko, who died during a police operation to detain him. Muzychko and the Right Sector are credited with playing a lead role in the protests that toppled Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovitch.

Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the Black Sea peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the Black Sea peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.

Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25. Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25.

Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 25.Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 25.

Pro-Russian militia members remove a resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. Following its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.Pro-Russian militia members remove a resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. Following its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.

Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22. Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22.

A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch. Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch.

A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.

Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.

Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.

Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.

Pro-Russian forces walk inside the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.Pro-Russian forces walk inside the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.

A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19. A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.

Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.

A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.

Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.

Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.

From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.

Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.

Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.

Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 17.Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 17.

Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.

A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.

Civilians walk past riot police in Simferopol on March 17.Civilians walk past riot police in Simferopol on March 17.

A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.

Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.

Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.

A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.

Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.

A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16.A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16.

Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.

A woman leaves a voting booth in Sevastopol on March 16. <a href='http://ift.tt/1gSMq89' target='_blank'>See the crisis in Ukraine before Crimea voted</a>A woman leaves a voting booth in Sevastopol on March 16. See the crisis in Ukraine before Crimea voted








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  • Andrew Kuchins: Obama and allies have issued empty threats at Putin

  • Kuchins: Despite Russia's annexation of Crimea, Obama's responses are weak

  • He says since Putin has met no push back for Crimea, why would he stop there?

  • Kuchins: Putin may ruin Obama's legacy by further encroaching Ukraine




Editor's note: Andrew C. Kuchins is director and senior fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.


(CNN) -- I recall being an undergraduate in Russian Studies at Amherst College when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979. I was flabbergasted when then-President Carter initially expressed surprise that Leonid Brezhnev and his cronies decided to undertake that ill-fated adventure. Just the little I knew of Soviet history at that time led me to conclude that one should never be naïve about Russia. Wisely, the Carter administration soon implemented a wide-ranging and powerful set of sanctions against the USSR.


By comparison, Barack Obama is now making Jimmy Carter look like Attila the Hun with a series of empty threats and "too little, too late" punitive measures against Putin's Russia.


On February 28, President Obama warned Russia not to take military action against Crimea, and if he did so, serious "costs" would be imposed. A few weeks later, Crimea was annexed to Russia and virtually no serious "costs" have been incurred from U.S. sanctions.



Andrew C. Kuchins


Now Obama and our European allies have virtually conceded Crimea, but again warn Putin that we really mean it this time, that if you take military action in Ukraine outside Crimea, you will be really sorry!


I think the only thing that has surprised Putin is how weak Obama's response has been. The administration was not prepared for the contingency that Putin would act so brazenly.


But Obama's stubborn insistence on a measured, incremental approach seems premised on his belief that Putin will, after his frustration and anger clears, come to his senses and seize the proverbial "off ramp" Obama and his officials ritualistically refer to, hearkening back to nearly two years of the mantra, "Assad must go." We know that Assad never left, and I see no evidence that Putin wants to take the "off-ramp."


Surely Putin's goals were not limited to getting Crimea while losing Ukraine. That does not make sense. And since he has met virtually no push back for Crimea, why would he stop there?





Putin's comparison to Kosovo 'bizarre'




Fareed's Take: Putin's Crimea invasion




Putin calls Obama to talk about Ukraine

It is not like his views on Ukraine are not fairly well known. At the Bucharest NATO summit in April 2008, Putin told George W. Bush in no uncertain terms that Ukraine was not a real country. And now Putin has found the appropriate moment to demonstrate to the "trans-Atlantic community" that Ukraine is not a real country by starting to dismember it with impunity.


In case there was any doubt about Putin's views of the illegitimacy of the post-Cold War European security order in Europe, his vitriolic speech to the Federal Assembly in Moscow on March 18 should clarify it for skeptics. I have no doubt that there is nothing Vladimir Putin would rather do than delegitimize the post-Cold War order, expose the Trans-Atlantic partnership as a sham and deeply degrade U.S. leadership in the world. He has already gone fairly far down that path in four weeks.


Why do American presidents have such a hard time understanding Russian leaders? First, it starts with our inability to fathom just how traumatic the collapse of the Soviet Union was for several generations of Russians. From a clinical standpoint, Russia has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder for the past couple of decades.


Putin resonates with many Russians because he is seen as the embodiment of the humiliation, status deprivation and grievances that the country has purportedly suffered.


Making matters worse, he was an intelligence operative virtually abandoned by what he and his brethren view as incompetent Soviet leadership. The ethos of the Russian intelligence officer going back to the foundation of the secret police in the early 19th century centers on their special, almost messianic obligation to save Russia from itself -- a task only they were adequately trained for.


These were people who, for example, enthusiastically supported the U.S. initiative more than 20 years ago to remove nuclear weapons from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, not because they gave a damn about nonproliferation but because when the day came for Russia to restore the "Greater Russia," that task would be much easier with nukes out of the way.


In the 1990s, many speculated about the danger of a "Weimar Russia" scenario in which the humiliated superpower would re-emerge in more of a fascist form.


I am afraid that day has arrived. Putin's task is to take back what a certain streak of Russian nationalism views as not only rightfully, but sacredly, what should be Russian. Obama may satisfy some supporters and even some critics by taunting Putin and Russia as a "regional power" of no great consequence acting out of "weakness." This will only bait the bear to lash out to demonstrate who is really weak and who is strong. It is a game that Obama is not psychologically equipped to understand, let alone win.


A Russian strike, either after a manufactured provocation or without one, into eastern Ukraine, is inevitable. Putin smells blood in the water, and nothing we have said or done will deter him. Economic measures alone are insufficient.


If Obama does not rise to this challenge soon, I fear that Putin will happily ruin his legacy and U.S. credibility, with massive collateral damage for Russians and Ukrainians. Putin will likely meet his own end if he miscalculates in Ukraine. It is incumbent for the United States, its allies and most importantly Ukrainians themselves, to help Putin not miscalculate because if he does, there will be hell to pay for all of us.


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