Incident at Entrance Area of U.S. Embassy in Moscow Appears to be Guard Using Embassy Protection Grappling Suppression Techniques
July 9, 2016
A commentary.
Altercations at the diplomatic level, could be a sign of something larger, not that an the pragmatism of two persons in a physical tussle always necessarily carry a magnitude that it has repercussions on relations between two of the most powerful nations in the world.
Some of what Putin said, in the video on the Washington Post webpage, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/russian-fsb-guard-attacks-us-diplomat-outside-moscow-embassy/2016/06/28/2c42c98c-3d7f-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1_story.html, based on the translation subtitles that ran at the bottom of the screen, it might be that it can be, inferred, that there is a presentment that the agenda of NATO expansion is competing ever so slightly with all out cooperation plausibly in a manner that Russia feels comfortable with between the U.S. and Russia. This could appear at least to commoners, that there is a broader spectrum of matter that Putin was addressing, beyond just the altercation.
What happened?
Based on written reports in media stories, some sources say that an altercation transpired between the U.S. diplomat and the FSB Guard in the locale of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow took place a little over a month ago, around the first week of June 2016. Not a lot of details of the incident hit the popular U.S. press.
More recently 2 diplomats were 'expelled' from the U.S. in response to the incident.
Questions in the media that it seems media is trying to answer is, who hit who first, and what was the rationale of who struck first?
From the outside, it looks like diplomatic level response, to expel 2 diplomats. Since outsiders are not necessarily insiders, outsiders might want to know, what if 2 diplomats have to some extent, lost their positions, in a balancing act for an FSB Guard that might have had issues separate from what is on a robotic plane where everything the guard could have done was perfectly planned, thought out, and was not suffering from a momentary flight-or-flight rush of adrenaline and made a judgement call, one which once calmed down and reflecting on options for decisions would not have done?
After viewing the video, at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/07/russian-police-officer-us-diplomat-fight-embassy-footage, the guard did not transgress into violent blows, or uncontrolled angry behavior. He did trained movements, which were to spread legs after take down, to increase the non-leverage factor. Contrary to what a few media stories have run, the diplomat was not in a situation where he was being beaten up or 'fisty cuffs', nor was there a 'fight' that went on; it appears the guard performed actions so that there could be no further actions on the part of the person detained.
There was only about a 3 second lapse if that, from the time the diplomat exited the cab, and headed through the entrance gate of the Embassy, and toward the Embassy door, and when the guard burst out of the security both that was placed right at the gate adjacent, and performed basic suppressive moves usually done to prevent the chance of an approaching person from pulling out a weapon out of a pocket or 'on the person', wrestled mildly to the ground as to not cause a concussion or injury to the head, and forthrightly, that was the pretty much the limits of what the guard did.
Pulling up fast in taxi cab to the gate; the manner in which it was done can have a two-fold interpretation; one, the diplomat was serious about diplomatic business and was in a hurry. We can all agree in principle, there is no problem with that, and we are all glad to see it. A second interpretation is, it does not matter who showed up at the Embassy gate, stranger, burglar, criminal, or, diplomat, if it appears that the person is closing in faster than usual and there is some aggression in the approaching persons manner, or there is a mixture of a perceived attitude of confrontation, and it was dark outside, that the person should be suppressed from any further movements might be universal diplomatic protective efforts training. It also does not matter what embassy, and who the guards are. The bottom line instruction set is, to have protected those inside the Embassy.
In the split second the FSB Gurad had to react, the fulcrum question is, was there time to ask to see an identification or verbally ask question to the diplomat, or was there perceived a level of risk, and waiting a split second before suppression was running the risk, generally, of being too late?
Have there been cases of diplomats having moments of aggression against other diplomats from their own country? Well most folks in diplomatic circles will probably say the answer is yes to varying degrees of intensity. There might have been incidents where diplomatic staff were angry, disgruntled employee type situation. Lastly, there was an employee from a news station in Virginia that attacked his own fellow employees, WDBJ incident in Roanoke August 2015; that point might shed weight on the guard's actions.
What is an FSB Guard?
The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, currently recognized as official as of 1993, says Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Service_of_the_Federal_Security_Service_of_the_Russian_Federation), however, maintaining a few traditions that date back many years ago.
Over the years in a wrestling-grappling situation like what occurred in Moscow, it might be appropriate to apologize for the use of force, while providing an accompanying explanation of the actions, especially if defending other American diplomatic lives were at interest and intention of the guard, and of course perform an investigation to the fullest.
There might be general feeling by some that the details of this particular case, referring to the actual tackle on the Embassy entrance, did not have enough intensity or negativity to gravitate towards nations being at odds, nor certainly talk of Cold War atmosphere.
This before any further details that might emerge.
Altercations at the diplomatic level, could be a sign of something larger, not that an the pragmatism of two persons in a physical tussle always necessarily carry a magnitude that it has repercussions on relations between two of the most powerful nations in the world.
Some of what Putin said, in the video on the Washington Post webpage, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/russian-fsb-guard-attacks-us-diplomat-outside-moscow-embassy/2016/06/28/2c42c98c-3d7f-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1_story.html, based on the translation subtitles that ran at the bottom of the screen, it might be that it can be, inferred, that there is a presentment that the agenda of NATO expansion is competing ever so slightly with all out cooperation plausibly in a manner that Russia feels comfortable with between the U.S. and Russia. This could appear at least to commoners, that there is a broader spectrum of matter that Putin was addressing, beyond just the altercation.
What happened?
Based on written reports in media stories, some sources say that an altercation transpired between the U.S. diplomat and the FSB Guard in the locale of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow took place a little over a month ago, around the first week of June 2016. Not a lot of details of the incident hit the popular U.S. press.
More recently 2 diplomats were 'expelled' from the U.S. in response to the incident.
Questions in the media that it seems media is trying to answer is, who hit who first, and what was the rationale of who struck first?
From the outside, it looks like diplomatic level response, to expel 2 diplomats. Since outsiders are not necessarily insiders, outsiders might want to know, what if 2 diplomats have to some extent, lost their positions, in a balancing act for an FSB Guard that might have had issues separate from what is on a robotic plane where everything the guard could have done was perfectly planned, thought out, and was not suffering from a momentary flight-or-flight rush of adrenaline and made a judgement call, one which once calmed down and reflecting on options for decisions would not have done?
After viewing the video, at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/07/russian-police-officer-us-diplomat-fight-embassy-footage, the guard did not transgress into violent blows, or uncontrolled angry behavior. He did trained movements, which were to spread legs after take down, to increase the non-leverage factor. Contrary to what a few media stories have run, the diplomat was not in a situation where he was being beaten up or 'fisty cuffs', nor was there a 'fight' that went on; it appears the guard performed actions so that there could be no further actions on the part of the person detained.
There was only about a 3 second lapse if that, from the time the diplomat exited the cab, and headed through the entrance gate of the Embassy, and toward the Embassy door, and when the guard burst out of the security both that was placed right at the gate adjacent, and performed basic suppressive moves usually done to prevent the chance of an approaching person from pulling out a weapon out of a pocket or 'on the person', wrestled mildly to the ground as to not cause a concussion or injury to the head, and forthrightly, that was the pretty much the limits of what the guard did.
Pulling up fast in taxi cab to the gate; the manner in which it was done can have a two-fold interpretation; one, the diplomat was serious about diplomatic business and was in a hurry. We can all agree in principle, there is no problem with that, and we are all glad to see it. A second interpretation is, it does not matter who showed up at the Embassy gate, stranger, burglar, criminal, or, diplomat, if it appears that the person is closing in faster than usual and there is some aggression in the approaching persons manner, or there is a mixture of a perceived attitude of confrontation, and it was dark outside, that the person should be suppressed from any further movements might be universal diplomatic protective efforts training. It also does not matter what embassy, and who the guards are. The bottom line instruction set is, to have protected those inside the Embassy.
In the split second the FSB Gurad had to react, the fulcrum question is, was there time to ask to see an identification or verbally ask question to the diplomat, or was there perceived a level of risk, and waiting a split second before suppression was running the risk, generally, of being too late?
Have there been cases of diplomats having moments of aggression against other diplomats from their own country? Well most folks in diplomatic circles will probably say the answer is yes to varying degrees of intensity. There might have been incidents where diplomatic staff were angry, disgruntled employee type situation. Lastly, there was an employee from a news station in Virginia that attacked his own fellow employees, WDBJ incident in Roanoke August 2015; that point might shed weight on the guard's actions.
What is an FSB Guard?
The Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, currently recognized as official as of 1993, says Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Service_of_the_Federal_Security_Service_of_the_Russian_Federation), however, maintaining a few traditions that date back many years ago.
Over the years in a wrestling-grappling situation like what occurred in Moscow, it might be appropriate to apologize for the use of force, while providing an accompanying explanation of the actions, especially if defending other American diplomatic lives were at interest and intention of the guard, and of course perform an investigation to the fullest.
There might be general feeling by some that the details of this particular case, referring to the actual tackle on the Embassy entrance, did not have enough intensity or negativity to gravitate towards nations being at odds, nor certainly talk of Cold War atmosphere.
This before any further details that might emerge.
Posted by HCN.
