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Latvians honor Nazi allies from WWII
Associated Press
Published: 16.03.14, 15:07
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29 Talkbacks for this article
1. The Waffen SS
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.16.14)
... was a purely voluntary unit. No conscripts. Respect? No. Condemnation. Yes. Whoever survived should, by all rights, have been hanged. Never too late to right a wrong.
2. Legionares day
ky   (03.16.14)
the disease is better
3. one of these days
Gady ,   Mexico City   (03.16.14)
russian boots will stomp and step over this little nation of blood-thirsty barbarians; that day I will throw a big party, we will smile when we see the latvian murederers starve to death in your frozen sterile country
4. It's their country now, they can honor anyone they wish ,...
split ,   US   (03.16.14)
Only an ignorants unfamiliar with Soviet ruthless brutality can blame them or any nation for siding with Nazis - Anything was better than Stalin's regime and commie goons.
5. In the Lutheran Cathederal yet !!
SomethingsNeverChang ,   Jerusalem Israel   (03.16.14)
"From Luther to Hitler" was to be the name of the famous book "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" how interesting the Lutheran Cathedral of Latvia hosted these Facists and most of anti Israel Scandinavia is Lutheran comment from no4 "split"justifies the brutal slaughter of men women and children in pits and burning of their bodies on pires..vigelence is the word here
6. to # 4 split
Oleg ,   USA   (03.16.14)
What do you know about Latvia? I bet nothing at all. I was born and lived there for more than 35 years. As a matter of fact, Latvia is an artificial country, they never existed before communist came to power in Russia. Russia bought this land from Sweden when tzar Peter I won the war with them (after this war Sweden become a neutral country, and now enjoys growing arabs population, that tears this piece of dirt apart). Lenin (if you know who he was) gave latvians freedom at a time of first world war, when germans occupied most of the Russia and nobody wanted to fight them. Latvian's red () army unit saved communists (lenin and Central Commetee) during the coup led by other political fractions at a time of revolution. During WWII before germans occupied Latvia they started to exterminate Jewish population in the most barbaric ways and germans had to stop this. Saying that they can honor those who were sent to other areas of a Soviet Union like Belorussia to participate in ethnic cleanings is not just dumb, but a complete ignorance of the history.
7. Putin, remind Ukrainians to PAY for CRIMES in WWII
zoro ,   israel   (03.16.14)
Nor Ukrainians, nor Latvians, no Lithuanians, haven't yet paid for their CRIMES against Jews and Russians in WWII. Putin, remind the WEST what Ukrainians, Lithuanians and Latvians did during WWII. REFRESH their rotten memories.
8. Putin should teach them a lesson
(03.16.14)
9. Talk about a rock and a hard place!
manicdrummer ,   Haifa, Israel   (03.16.14)
They wanted independence from the USSR, but they had to join up with Nazis to do it. Unfortunately, nothing worked out for them in the end.
10. # 5 ,...
split ,   US   (03.16.14)
Why don't you do some research what led to it and your contribution prior to that in Latvia and Estonia under Soviet occupation ,...
11. More to read for #5 ,...
split ,   US   (03.16.14)
By the way there're many Lutheran churches in Latvia because there're many Lutherans there. Riga was an important city of the Hanseatic League at the entrance of Dvina-Dnieper trade route to Byzantium.
12. They are a member of the EU!
Hansje   (03.16.14)
13. 5.
Mark   (03.16.14)
Where exactly does no. 4 justify what you accuse him of? Nowhere, that's the answer. The Latvians are celebrating their armed sovereigntly, as is their right. They sided with the Germans because there was no-one else to help them get rid of the Soviets. Stalin has a ttrack record that is as least as gruesome as that of Hitler and the Latvians did not feel like repeating a Holodomor on their turf. The history of eastern europe during WWII is complex and people did things for different reasons. Stop forcing the entire world to view the entire war through the lens of Jewish trauma. Other people have a right to their perspective as well. You don't get to monopolize the war, get over yourselves. As for the Russians protesting. Come on, everybody even a little familiar with the story can see this for the shameless self-serving manipulation they are trying to pull off here right? Don't think for a minute that the plight of the Jewish people in the dead camps is the real reason for them turning up.
14. Mark @ 13 ,...
split ,   US   (03.16.14)
This people are not capable to see any further that the tip of their own nose they're preoccupied with their victimhood so much no one else exist and no other tragedies happen. The hell with a fact that looking at the speed the Latvians and Estonians were exterminated by Stalin's goons, if it wasn't for Hitler's Barbarossa they would be extincted today. Their (# 5 ilk's) selfishness and disdain for other than Jewish life is shocking ,...
15. To: No. 9
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.16.14)
And along the way they murdered how many tens of thousands of Jews?
16. To: No. 4
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.16.14)
Oh, you're preaching Ukraine's party line now. Crimea first, the rest of the Ukraine to follow. The Ukes are too dammed primitive to have a country of their own, anyway. If Russia's smart they'll take it all except for a tiny area around Chernobyl. Herd all the Ukrainians into that area, and fence it off. The Jews, of course, will come to Israel. The rest of the population of the Ukraine can live very short, useless lives in Chernobyl. Well, nothing new about the useless part, right?
17. Something worth knowing .....
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.16.14)
.... about Latvia. In the Middle Ages, the Latvians put a statue of Mary on trial for witchcraft. The statue was placed in the river, where it floated, a sure sign that it was a witch. The statue was then promptly burnt at the stake. That's Latvia, folks! And you know what? Nothing's changed.
18. @4 coward and liar, the hour of jackals.
Miron ,   USA   (03.16.14)
19. In agreement with #13
Cameron ,   USA   (03.16.14)
Those Latvians who joined the SS did not do so out of some sympatico with Nazi ideals, or wish to put the zap on the Jews. They joined to revenge themselves on Stalinist Russia. Stalin invaded & utterly ruined the Baltic states on every level, with countless no.s being shot or loaded on to trains to be worked to death in Siberia. True desperation & utter desire for revenge were what prompted Latvians, Estonians, and Lithuanians, as well as the Finns, to join the SS in such large numbers.
20. To #19.
Steven ,   Rockville MD USA   (03.17.14)
Do not mention the Finns on the same page with rest of the Baltic countries. The Finns were and are anti-Fascist and they did not volunteer (may be with the exception of a few) in large number into the Waffen SS. If they read it I am sure the Finns will protest that statement.
21. To: No. 19
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (03.17.14)
But they did precious little against the Soviet Union. They were shipped westward to work in German concentration camps. Didn't exactly see them walk out in protest, you know?
22. You don't have to inform mme where you're from ,...
split ,   US   (03.17.14)
I can smell a commie from a mile away ,... They're a nation that haven't had a country because they got neighbors like Russia and Prussia and back stabbing 'infiltrators' snitching on them ,... Most of those unwelcome guests that participaded in this crap had to run when the commies lost their power and status ;) ,...
23. as far as i am concerned....
les ,   canada   (03.17.14)
they were FASCISTS, the are FASCISTS, and they will be FASCISTS (most of them). that applies to most of europe, specially now, after the muslim invasion taking them over. it is 1933 all over, and jews still not getting the message.
24. Plenty of Finnish volunteers, #20
Cameron ,   USA   (03.17.14)
Note their service in SS formations such as "Wiking" & "Nord". Same motivation as those from the Baltic states: revenge for being beaten down by Stalin's troops.
25. Sarah of #21
Cameron ,   USA   (03.17.14)
You talk foolishly on this matter.
26. To Sara B #21
Steven ,   Rockville, MD. USA   (03.17.14)
The Finn Army did fight for several years Against the Soviet Army to defend Karelia. The Finn Army did include Jewish soldiers, since the Finn Government refused to allow the Nazis to put their hand on the Jews. Please read about it, I was a kid during WWII, but, I remember very well that the Finns behaved in an exemplary fashion. Even to day they do so.
27. Latvia and Ukraina are both Nazi lovers.
Observer ,   Canada   (03.17.14)
Putin will soon teach these Nazi lovers a lesson.
28. # 22 was my response for Oleg @ 6 ,...
split ,   US   (03.17.14)
29. @25
Geesche Jost ,   Den Haag, NL   (03.21.14)
As she does on *ANY* matter.
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