Month: September 2008

Ever wondered who owns NATO – first two guesses do not count!

Hello,

When Gorbachev was asked if the former U.S. Secretary of State, James Baker, really promised him that NATO would not expand eastward if the Soviet Union supported the unification of Germany and united Germany’s NATO membership, Gorbachev answers: “He didn’t promise it to me. He promised it to the whole World!” (Link)

This seems to be one of the most serious mistakes by the USA, the fact that they did not uphold their end of the bargain about NATO.

Background:

“In February 1990, after talks with West Germany’s foreign minister, Secretary of State James Baker had assured Gorbachev and [then Soviet Foreign Minister, later Georgian President Eduard] Shevardnadze that ‘NATO’s jurisdiction would not shift one inch eastward from its present position.’ The [first] Bush administration began backing away from that pledge almost immediately. The Clinton administration reneged on that commitment altogether when it decided to expand NATO to Eastern Europe. …

“‘The issue is not just whether Czechs, Hungarians and Poles join NATO. The problem is more serious: the rejection of the strategy for a new, common European system agreed to by myself and all the Western leaders when we ended the Cold War,’ Mikhail Gorbachev wrote in March 1999. ‘I feel betrayed by the West. The opportunity we seized on behalf of peace has been lost. The whole idea of a new world order has been completely abandoned.'” *

*- From the book “Hang Separately: Cooperative Security Between the United States and Russia, 1985-1994” by Leon V. Sigal, The Century Foundation Press, 2000.

Could Russia hold some deep resentment?

Seems the Wind is picking up speed now and the leaves are falling…..

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

The USA continues to debate the Russian Georgia conflict…..

U.S. Intelligence Sees It Russia’s Way:

American intelligence confirms that the latest military actions in South Ossetia were started by Georgia and Russia’s position in the conflict was correct, says Republican California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. He said the situation reminded him of the Bay of Tonkin incident, which the U.S. used as a pretext for beginning the war in Vietnam.

“The Russians are right! We’re wrong! Georgia started it, the Russians ended it,” Rohrabacher said at a hearing in the House of Representatives.

Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried said U.S. intelligence was still working on an exact chronology of the events of August 7 to verify Georgian claims that Russian forces were in Roki Tunnel, linking Russia to South Ossetia, before Georgia attacked. Fried said that the Bush administration had forcefully and repeatedly warned the Georgians against beginning military actions against Russia, and he was unable to say why Georgia chose to ignore that advice.

Nonetheless, Fried acknowledged that supporting Georgia was in U.S. interests, even if it considers the countries actions foolish.

Russia acknowledged the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 26. Those republics requested that recognition after Georgian forces almost completely ruined Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, in the course of the event of August 8-12. More than 1500 civilians were killed in that time, according to South Ossetian authorities. (Link)

I think the wind is talking not whispering, in the tree leaves now!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

Today finds the winds blowing in little swirls in the USA Government as the U.S. Senate finds itself asking why? After a month since the war in Georgia, the Senate has gotten around to actually questioning the motives of Americans involvement in the Caucasus…..

U.S. officials split over Caucasus conflict:

U.S. officials are divided over the recent violence in South Ossetia. The U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing has cast Moscow as an aggressor but members of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs have sided with Russia. And making a decision will require from them assessing the U.S. foreign policy objectives, including those that have to do with Iran and the global war on terror.

At last, some U.S. voices have been raised against labeling Russia as the aggressor during the conflict in the Caucasus.

”The recent fighting in Georgia and its breakaway region was started by Georgia. The Georgians broke the truce, not the Russians! And no talk of provocation can change that fact,” said Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

Congressman Ron Paul added the U.S. is in Georgia “not for democracy”.

”We are not for democracy there – we are there to protect a pipeline. And that is tragic for me,” he said.

Nevertheless, no concrete proposals came except one – Senator Hillary Clinton called for the creation of a special commission to get the facts straight before judging Russia.

”Rather than seeking to isolate them – which I think is not a smart proposal – we should be more strategic. We have to answer for ourselves: Did we embolden the Georgians in any way? Did we send mixed signals to the Russians?” Hillary Clinton said.

The answer of U.S. Military Officials was a ‘no’.

“For many months my colleagues and Secretary Rice had been telling the Georgians clearly and unequivocally that any military action initiated by them would be a mistake and would lead to a disaster,” Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman said. (Link)

And a denial came after Senator John Warner asked: “Were there any requests from the President of Georgia or other high-ranking officials for the U.S. to provide active military support for the Georgia military?”

Some also insisted that Georgia had not been promised membership in NATO.

Others though were quick to question that statement. ”That is inconsistent with the 2008 Bucharest Summit statement. It also seems to be inconsistent with the statement of Vice President Dick Cheney. Those sound like promises to me,” said Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Oh – I hear the breeze blowing through the leaves now, whispering the questions……..

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 17:51:39.About 3,800 Russian servicemen will be stationed in each of the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said during a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev. The official pointed out that the ministry had already reached agreements to this effect with both republics, as well as defined the military structure and the dislocation sites, the Mayak radio station reported today. Serdyukov indicated that the Russian army units will be stationed in the villages of Dzhava and Tskhinval in South Ossetia and at former Russian peacekeepers’ sites in Abkhazia.

RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 17:33:53.By sending its observers to zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the European Union will give Georgia a clear signal that it will now be responsible, along with the OSCE and the UN, for ensuring security in the disputed republics, Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov told journalists today. He added that from now on any provocations in the conflict zone would be aimed against the EU. It is vital that Georgian troops withdraw to their pre-conflict positions before October 1 and that Russia receives guarantees that Georgia will not resume attacks against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Lavrov underscored. To this effect, the EU is to send 200 observers to the conflict zone, he pointed out.

RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 17:12:58.Russia’s trade surplus under the balance of payments methodology increased 1.83 times to $19.144bn in July 2008 compared to the same month of the previous year, the Bank of Russia indicated in its announcement today.

RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 16:26:36.The European Union must be the first to take a step to settle the Caucasus conflict, according to agreements reached by Presidents Dmitry Medvedev of Russia and Nicolas Sarkozy of France on Monday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists today. He reiterated that Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, assured the Russian side during the talks that the European Union would be able to deploy an observer mission in the conflict zone before October 1. On this condition, Russia will withdraw peacekeeping forces from Abkhazia and South Ossetia within the following 10 days, Lavrov said. If the EU delays the deployment of the mission, Russia will pull back the forces within 10 days from the actual day of its arrival, the Minister pointed out.

RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 12:46:05.The State Duma is expected to consider amending the military items of Russia’s federal budget for 2009-2011, Speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament Boris Gryzlov told journalists following today’s State Duma Council meeting. He reiterated that a draft budget would be considered in its first reading on September 19. However, even now the deputies are ready to review amendments to the bill specifying the financing of the Russian Defense Ministry’s expenses. The matter is to be discussed with Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on Wednesday, Gryzlov said. He explained that the amendments were connected with the South Ossetian conflict and were aimed at enabling the Russian army to counter any threat, even a potential one.

RBC, 09.09.2008, Minsk 12:18:22.Severstal is interested in the construction of a new steel plant in Belarus, the country’s Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky was cited by the cabinet’s press office as saying following talks with Vyacheslav Pozgalyov, governor of Russia’s Vologda region. The PM noted that the matter had been discussed during a meeting in Minsk. Sidorsky added that the Belarus government planned to introduce the proposal on building the plant to President Alexander Lukashenko. The project has been estimated at more than $2bn. A feasibility study is being carried out, and Belarus intends to launch a construction tender in the near future. Severstal showed interest in the project a month ago, according to Sidorsky.

RBC, 08.09.2008, Moscow 19:04:23.Russia has received guarantees for the non-use of force by Georgia from the European Union and France, which is now holding the EU presidency, Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev said following today’s talks with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy. The Russian President stressed that the parties had accepted a document stipulating additional measures that were not included in the agreement signed on August 12.

Hello,

My wife and I have just purchased airline tickets to Israel! We will leave on the 5th of October, 2008 and return by the 21st of October, 2008. We also plan to travel Egypt while we are in the area but not as extensive as Israel.We can travel to Egypt by bus after seeing the sights in Israel.

This is a trip of a lifetime for us both and we are very excited to be going. I have written about some of the worries (Link) but we decided that why worry just go. 🙂

We have a new lap top (Dell Inspiron) and this time we have secured reliable internet to work from any and all sources that we can find. (Israel seems to have WiFi everywhere, not sure about Egypt.)

This is a list we have found of some things to do and go see:

* Jerusalem
* The Gates of Jerusalem
* The City of David
* The Old City of Jerusalem
* Museum for Islamic Art
* Mount Zion
* Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum
* The Tower of David Museum
* The Model of Second Temple Jerusalem
* The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
* Nahlaot
* Mishkenot She’ananim
* The New Heart of Jerusalem
* The Tisch Family Biblical Zoo
* Ticho House
* Ben Yehuda Street
* Ramat Rachel
* Southern wall of Jerusalem from the time of the Hasmonean Dynasty
* Haifa
* The Bahai Gardens
* The Dead Sea
* Massada
* The Massada Museum
* Monasteries in the Judean Desert
* Arad region
* Arava Special Agriculture
* The Besor Region
* Nitzana Region
* Eilat
* The Coral Reef in Eilat
* The Red Sea
* The Dolphin Reef

Now as far as Egypt is concerned we have a desire to go to the oldest Monastery on Earth in the Sinai Peninsula. Then we want to see a pyramid…. (Egypt is ad lib as we go!)

As we get closer we will let everyone know more information. This time we are really working on being able to post as we travel!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

While drinking the morning cup of coffee, I was thinking about Russia and her outlook on the world…

Without a doubt, Russia is authoritarian; it does see itself as a great power and has engaged and will engage in power competition with those whom it sees as its rivals; it does insist on preserving links and influence in the former Imperial borderlands turned independent states; it looks at oil, gas and other natural resources as its few real assets before its economy is modernized and diversified; it does have a global view, it does have a future in mind that rejects US world domination and openly seeks to build what it calls a multipolar world order. True, Russia is not a post-modern player when it comes to international relations: it is nationalistic, sovereignty-conscious, and does not shy from wielding hard power, but apart from the European Union, no country is. Today, Russian people are freer and more affluent than they have ever been: capitalism is transforming Russian society on a daily basis. Yet even as Russia becomes progressively more Western inside, it has ceased to be pro-Western in its foreign policy.

These attributes of Russia are what scares the USA. For many years now the U.S. has not had anyone tell hem to not cross the red line. The U.S. has had the run of the “candy store” so to speak. Now the Bear said, no more candy from Russia & her territory!

What was the U.S. response to taking away her candy?

She (USA) had an unbelievable fit and is still screaming over lost candy! Rice has nonstop bad mouthed Russia for a month now. Bush has only shut up because his speech writers quit writing anti-Russian speeches. Cheney just made the rounds through this part of the world and proceeded to show his mentality level. Every time he spoke in the last few days, every other word was anti-Russian and he is so “talented” that he does not need speech writers to say, “Bad Russia!”

I have listen carefully the last few weeks and have watched the European Union work hard at a resolution. I have seen a Europe that wants to be a world power that mediates. I respect Europe, for the much more grownup attitude over the situation in the Caucuses. Yes Europe has its dissenting screaming children that try to stir up issues for the USA but the elder and wiser States keep them with pacifiers. The problem is that there is one child that Europe does not have a big enough pacifier for…..

Lets turn to the Biggest and Loudest Child (USA) for the last of these thoughts, centered on Cheney:

1. Dick Cheney denounced what he termed Russia’s war against Georgia. American political commentator Pat Buchanan pointed out that, while the Georgian conflict lasted five days, “We bombed Serbia for 78 days when it had not attacked the US for the province of Kosovo.”

2. Cheney also warned that Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia could set a precedent. “We know that if one country is allowed to unilaterally redraw the borders of another, it will happen and it will happen again,” the Vice President said.

Just over six months ago, Russia expressed similar concerns – but then it was about recognising the independence of Kosovo. “We think to support the unilateral independence of Kosovo is wrong both from the moral and legal points of view,” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in February 2008. In spite of Russia’s warnings, the Serbian province’s unilateral declaration of independence was supported and recognized by the U.S. and more than 40 other countries.

3. Western politicians and media criticized Russia for what they called the invasion of a sovereign country. Again, terminology that would not be entirely out of place in a debate about the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which Russia opposed.

As the U.S. continues to attack Russia rhetorically, its inherent double standards are becoming ever more obvious. While the USA draws red lines and “you” better not cross, Russia slapped back when the USA crossed Russia’s red line.

Hence: The Spoiled Child (USA) fell on the ground screaming, yelling and holding her breath until blue in the face.

Why?

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev

Hello,

I have been waiting today to see the outcome of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, meeting with his counterpart Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The meeting went as planned and Russia will pull out of Georgia. Now remember that they are pulling out of Georgia not Abkhazia or South Ossetia.

The French president said on Monday that Russia has promised to pull all troops out of Georgia, but not South Ossetia or Abkhazia!

Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking after talks with his counterpart Dmitry Medvedev near Moscow, also said that under the new agreement Russia has pledged to withdraw from observation posts located between the Georgian towns of Poti and Senaki within a week. (Link)

This was very expected on Russia’s part and no one should be surprised by the news. Russia has also announced that they will put embassy’s in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They are looking for buildings as you read this. There will also be 200 EU Observers stationed in Georgia near the conflict borders. These are to insure that Georgia does not start any trouble again.

He said Russian troops would pull out of the Black Sea port of Poti and nearby areas in the next seven days, but only if Georgia signed a pledge to not use force against Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

This is the same pledge that Russia has tried for years to get Georgia to sign and they refused. (You see why now.)

Strange how Russia has had to slap America and Europe in the face over Georgia. Russia went to the European Union, United Nations and NATO about Georgia way before all this happened. The USA blocked any and all problems brought up by Russia in every situation it could. That is why Medvedev and Putin say….

Georgia is actively working to restore its attacking potential, and is being aided by the U.S. He also accused Washington of complicity in Georgia’s ground and air offensive against South Ossetia, which claimed the lives of a large number of civilians.

Saakashvili “decided to solve an old, complex problem, with historical elements, in one movement, through the use of military force. In this, he received the blessing of one country,” Medvedev said.

I think that the USA is going to be not happy about this information….

Now you know a little more about what is happening in the world!

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

The Investigation Committee of the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office has provided non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with the first detailed reports from the inquiry into alleged war crimes by the Georgian army in South Ossetia between August 7 and 12.

All the data below has been provided by the Investigation Committee Russian General Prosecutor’s Office.

RT reproduces the information as part of a joint project with the investigation commission to make the information available.

Investigators collected more than 4,000 statements from people who claim they were victims of physical, material and moral attack as the result of the Georgian assault on South Ossetia.

The Russian General Prosecutor’s Office says Georgia’s military actions amounted to an attempt to ethnically cleanse the region of South Ossetians.

Witness accounts

The following statements were submitted to the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office by witnesses.

Larisa Khugayeva: “Georgian soldiers finished off the wounded and took prisoners from the civil population.”

Amiran Goyayev: “The Georgian army fired grenades into the basements where civilians were hiding, fired at those running away, ruined a wooden church in the village of Khetagurovo where people had found shelter”.

Artem Gobozov: “A car exploded in Tskhinval after being shot at with a self-propelled rocket launch system. The driver Yaroslav Valiyev and the passengers who were in the car with him were killed.”

Vyacheslav Gagloyev: “I saw soldiers of the Georgian army shoot dead Atsamat Gagloyev and Nuzgar Kozoyev and then cut their throat.”

Zhanna Safonova: “On August 7 the shelling started. It came from the Georgian village of Kekhvi. My friend Marina Chochieva and her children were shot on the Zar road by Georgian troops. All the people in the car were killed… I saw a lot of dead civilians in the hospitals of Tskhinval, including children.”

Lyudmila Tasoyeva: “A car carrying people was shot at by Georgians in Tskhinval. The family in the car, parents with two children, were still alive. Gasoline was then poured over it and it was set on fire”.

Vali Bestayeva: “Georgian soldiers raped seven young women and then burned them alive in the village of Tsunari.”

Mikhail Tomayev: “On August 8 the mass shelling of Tskhinval started. Georgian troops entered the city and killed a pregnant woman who was running away. They stormed basements and killed civilians hiding there.”

Larisa Begayeva: “On August 8, at around 9am, Georgian tanks entered Tskhinval from near the Georgian village of Nikozi. They started to run over people who were running across a field, including women, children and old people. Some civilians hid in the church on Komarov street, and the Georgians, having seen that, blew up the building. All the people inside the church were killed.”

Findings of the investigation

The inquiry has established that 52 Russian peacekeepers were killed as a result of the Georgian army’s attack. Thirteen are missing and 229 are wounded.

A further 755 people were taken to hospitals in South Ossetia, five of them died later. Apartment buildings, schools, public buildings and infrastructure were destroyed in the city of Tskhinval and the villages of Khetagurovo, Dmenis, Sarabuk, Tbet, Zar, Rustav, Znaur, Didmukha, Ubiat, Mugrut, Arknet, Bekmar, Velit and Leningor.

The inquiry’s conclusions were reached after more than 600 observation missions to residential areas. A further 12 observation missions were made to Georgian firing positions and sites where peacekeeping forces operated. Many of these sites contained destroyed Russian and Georgian military equipment.

More than 5,000 items and documents have been collected as evidence of criminal actions by Georgian forces. These include military maps dealing with mass shelling of Ossetian residential areas. (Link)

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Hello,

Lets see what Russia and friends are up to this weekend…..

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will attend the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization in Peru on November 22-23, the Kremlin’s press service said

* President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia has not changed its warm and brotherly attitude toward the Georgian people after Tbilisi’s recent attack on South Ossetia

* Russia’s new carrier-based fighters will replace the Su-33 naval fighter in service with the Russian Navy after 2016, a senior military official said

* Gazprom is planning to receive licenses for the development of seven strategic gas fields in Russia by the end of September, the Russian energy giant said

* Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and armed forces will begin on Monday a three-day military exercise to test new weaponry and practice repelling potential air strikes on its territory, the local media said

* Iran will hold its next presidential election on June 12, 2009, the Fars news agency reported

* Poland’s Alliance of the Democratic Left (SLD) has called for a national referendum on the deployment of a U.S. missile defense base in the country, a party’s spokesman told RIA Novosti

* Six suspected militants were killed during a shootout with police in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia, a local police source said.

Looks like normal stuff…..

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.