August 13, 2008
The other pieces on the board of Russia's thoughts...
As Russia shows Georgia its iron hand, a look at the love-hate relationship it shares with Soviet Union’s former ‘republics’ since USSR’s dissolution in 1991:
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Escrito por: Sparhawk at 12:17 PM :: Comments (0) :: TrackBacks (0):: :: Enlace permanente: The other pieces on the board of Russia's thoughts...:: |
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August 12, 2008
Well, duh!!
One only has to hear McCain talk yesterday...
Asia Times Online :: Central Asian News and current affairs, Russia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan
What is playing out in the Caucasus is being reported in the United States media in an alarmingly misleading light, making Moscow appear the lone aggressor after it sent troops into the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia following a Georgian offensive on that territory.
The question is whether President George W Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are encouraging Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to force the next US president to back the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military agenda of the current Bush administration. Washington may have badly misjudged the possibilities, as it did in Iraq, and there are even possible nuclear consequences.
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Escrito por: Sparhawk at 9:49 AM :: Comments (0) :: TrackBacks (0):: :: Enlace permanente: Well, duh!!:: |
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August 11, 2008
Master chess players...
It is hard to fathom such an amount of stupidity on the part of a supposedly "Western leader" like Saakashvili. What was he thinking? There are very few random things that happen in geopolitics. This was a (mis)calculated move by the Georgian president to launch a "take control of the dogs in the backyard" to coincide with the opening of the Beijing Olympics, hoping the Russians would look the other way or at least wait until the games were over. By that time, it would have been very difficult to wrench the Georgians out of South Ossetia. Russia, on the other hand, which has a history of not giving a crap about what anybody thinks of their actions, launched a clean-up and punitive campaign against the Georgians. Was that unforseen by Saakashvili? Really? Now, what kind of gambit was Saakashvili playing? Was he promised an unconditional back-up by the U.S.? (yes, I see Dick Cheney's and Co. fingerprints in this)? Was he given the green light--not that he needed one, mind you--to launch such an attack on its own rebel provinces? Provinces which, by the way, have been bristling with Russian "Peacemakers" for, what?, at least 16 years. For crying out loud, what was the logic of it? What forced that hand?
Looking at the future, I agree with Debka's assessment of what's "next". The Russians, like it or not, do call the shots in the region. Bear no illusions about it being different. The Cold War never ended; it was paused. The thing is, there many hands itching to press the "Play" button. Perhaps it's being done already.
DEBKAfile - No Caucasian Ceasefire until Russia Achieves its Aims
After severing South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia, four follow-up Russian steps may be postulated:
1. The two separatist provinces will proclaim their independence, just like Kosovo.
2. Russia will continue to exercise its overwhelming military and air might to reduce the pro-American Saakashvili to capitulation.
3. The Georgian president will not be able to face his own nation after losing two regions of his country and causing its humiliation. Moscow will then make Washington swallow a pro-Russian successor.
4. Moscow’s trampling of Georgia will serve as an object lesson for Russia’s own secessionist provinces, such as Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, and a warning not to risk defying Russian armed might.
5. Western plans to develop more oil and gas pipelines to bypass the Russian network to the West, in addition to the Caspian line which carries one million barrels a day from Baku through Georgia to Turkey and out to the West, will be held in abeyance pending an accommodation with the rulers of the Kremlin.
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En el cajón de: Commentary
Escrito por: Sparhawk at 4:21 PM :: Comments (0) :: TrackBacks (0):: :: Enlace permanente: Master chess players...:: |
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August 4, 2008
It makes me wonder...
When is the territorial China going to shrink. I mean, you can't have it both ways. Be a capitalist powerhouse and keep a totalitarian regime (cough! cough!, yes, I know, I'm pointing at the mirror). I'm not saying that they should follow the ex-Soviet example of breaking up the country at the hinges of the weakest links of their former territory, but, it is evident that forcing cohesion can demonstrate to be unbearable in the long term.
Attack in China Kills 16 Border Patrol Officers - NYTimes.com
The assault, the deadliest terrorist attack in China since the early 1990s, took place 2,100 miles from Beijing, but just four days before the start of the Olympics, adding to security concerns in the capital as hundreds of thousands of foreign athletes, journalists and spectators begin to arrive.
China, anxious to avert any possibility of terrorist attack during the Games, has girded Beijing with soldiers, missile launchers and sidewalk cameras. The heavy surveillance did not prevent a small protest near Tiananmen Square on Monday by people who said they had not been compensated after their homes were demolished for a redevelopment project, but a swarm of police officers rapidly broke it up.
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En el cajón de: Commentary
, En el cajón de: Just Rants
Escrito por: Sparhawk at 4:09 PM :: Comments (0) :: TrackBacks (0):: :: Enlace permanente: It makes me wonder...:: |
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March 4, 2008
WTF v3.5
This is like the third or four piece of news from UPI, in the past couple of weeks, where they quote information obtained from Debka. I mean, I've been reading the site since they opened the joint and although they have interesting articles and information, their track record on veracity is suspect... Is UPI, and other big names in information gathering and reporting, being lazy and off the field not to be able to come up with news like this on their own??
Egypt supporting Hamas, report claims - UPI.com
A group of suspected Hamas fighters were arrested after allegedly returning from training courses in Iran and Syria. About 15 of the suspects were allegedly allowed to cross into Gaza with a cache of weapons and ammunition in ambulances, the Jerusalem military intelligence Web site DEBKAfile said.Sources told DEBKAfile that the immigration of Hamas fighters coincided with the escalation of conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza. Israeli officials were hesitant to highlight the movement of fighters for fear of angering Cairo, as it expresses its support for Israel's fight against militants.
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En el cajón de: Commentary
Escrito por: Sparhawk at 11:18 AM :: Comments (0) :: TrackBacks (0):: :: Enlace permanente: WTF v3.5:: |
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