We already know that Paul Manafort is sleazy. After all, the now-former chairman of the Donald Trump campaign orchestrated an illegal lobbying campaign on behalf of Ukraine’s then pro-Russian government, and also took $12.7 million in under-the-table payments from the party of then-president Viktor Yanukovych. But that’s wpat-a-cake stuff compared to what Ukrainian prosecutors discovered late last week. They believe Manafort helped orchestrate a series of violent protests a decade ago that put American troops in danger.
In the early hours of May 27, 2006; a detachment of Marines and Navy sailors boarded buses in the Crimean resort town of Feodosia. They were on their way to start renovations for a command post that was to be used in Sea Breeze, an international training exercise involving troops from 14 countries, including the United States and Ukraine. However, as they were about to leave, they were attacked by crowds of angry locals.
According to the Marines’ executive officer, Lt. Col. Tom Doman, his men were pelted with rocks, and “buses were rocked back and forth.” Col. Bill Black, the unit’s commanding officer, recalled seeing a number of the protesters armed with crude Molotov cocktails–plastic bottles filled with diesel fuel.
For the next two weeks, the troops were effectively confined to a dog-eared hotel in Feodosia. Black ordered his men not to go outside, fearing that there was an international incident waiting to happen. They also couldn’t get to their supply ship, which was docked in Feodosia’s port. The protesters wouldn’t allow any of the Marines’ building supplies off the pier.
According to Black, the protesters were throwing things at the hotel and blasting it with loud music. However, he noticed that “their hearts weren’t in it.” American diplomats on the ground also suspected the protests had been staged, noting “strong similarities in the demonstrators’ props,” as well as the fact that the protesters only crowded in when a TV camera was nearby. Finally, the soldiers flew out of town on orders from the Pentagon, and Sea Breeze was scrapped for the year.
It turns out that this protest was indeed astroturf. Yanukovych’s Party of Regions organized a coalition of pro-Russian groups into an unwelcoming committee for the troops. They whipped up the locals into a frenzy with rumors that the troops, with the support of Ukraine’s then pro-Western president, Viktor Yushchenko, were trying to build a NATO base there. In truth, Doman says, they were actually building a series of one-story buildings for use in Sea Breeze. Black added that they also planned to build a number of recreational facilities for the community.
According to a memo written last year and obtained by The Times of London, Ukrainian prosecutors believe that Manafort was responsible for the protests. Apparently Manafort was well known to local prosecutors. One of them recalled that he “constantly saw evidence” that Manafort believed that getting autonomy for the Crimea would “enhance the reputation of Yanukovych and win over the local electorate.” Prosecutors were actively pursuing options for charging Manafort with conspiracy and inciting ethnic hatred. However, those plans ran aground after Russia annexed Crimea, making it impossible to find more evidence.
I know what you’re thinking–why such a fuss over protests? However, a number of bright lines were crossed here, as a number of memos from American diplomats to their Ukrainian counterparts make clear. In one note, American embassy officials expressed concern about “the Marines’ security, comfort, and impeded ability to complete the task they were sent to accomplish.” They also blasted attempts by Yanukovych’s cronies to get their hands on the supplies.
Frankly, this is no different from when a Democratic city councilman in Jackson, Mississippi called for police officers who chase into Jackson from nearby towns to be greeted with rocks and sticks. It is an outrage that Stokes is still in office after this. It would be no less of an outrage if Manafort is connected to this attack on our troops and isn’t held responsible for it. If Manafort is connected to this, if there is no way for him to be prosecuted or sued, his firm, DMP International, must pay for this outrage by being driven out of existence.
I have a subversive streak. But violence is unacceptable. Willfully endangering our troops is unacceptable. All together? At the very least, Manafort has some explaining to do.
