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Monday, September 1, 2008 |
M&C: "European observers have faulted Georgia in this month's Caucasus conflict, saying it made elaborate plans to seize South Ossetia, according to the German news magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday.
In a report to appear in its Monday edition, it said officials of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had said acts by the Georgian government had contributed to the outbreak of the crisis with Russia."
KomsomolskayaPravda: "Germany's Spiegel magazine announced the cover story of their new issue earlier this week, which will hit stands worldwide on Sept. 1. The article testifies to the 'many poor decisions made by the Georgian authorities that led to the crisis in the Caucasus,' RIA Novosti reported.
The article's teaser promises an informational time bomb that is sure to complicate things for Georgia. Its authors claim that piles of evidence have accumulated at the OSCE headquarters detailing the Georgian authorities' unsavory decisions that resulted in the conflict. Spiegel also notes that governmental bodies in Berlin have received information compiled by OSCE military observers in the Caucasus (via unofficial channels) that prove Georgia began the conflict.
First, the article presents evidence showing how Georgia prepared military actions against South Ossetia before the event transpired, Spiegel writes. Second, it demonstrates how Georgia attacked South Ossetia before Russian tanks even entered the Roki tunnel. Third, the article includes testimonies from observers who say Tbilisi ordered an attack on South Ossetia at night while innocent civilians were sleeping."
BaltimoreSun: "Non-governmental relief agencies working in Georgia are furious that President Bush has put the Pentagon in charge of the operation, charging that the 'militarization' of the humanitarian operation puts them at risk.
'We are concerned about blurring the lines between who is an aid worker and who is a soldier,' said Anne Richard, a vice president of the New York-based International Rescue Committee, a non-governmental organization working in Georgia and elsewhere.
'If we are mistaken for soldiers, in very dangerous situations we can become targets,' said Richard.
Just two weeks ago, three women working in Afghanistan for the International Rescue Committee were traveling in a clearly marked IRC vehicle when they were attacked and killed by insurgents.
But Bush, acting on Aug. 13 as he sought diplomatic footing against Russia's military confrontation with Georgia, declared that he was putting the Defense Department in charge of the humanitarian relief mission."
DerSpiegel: "According to Western observers, by the morning of Aug. 7 the Georgians had amassed 12,000 troops on the border to South Ossetia. Seventy-five tanks and armored personnel carriers were in position near Gori. In a 15-hour blitzkrieg, the tanks were to advance to the Roki Tunnel to seal it off. At that point, there were only 500 Russian soldiers and another 500 fighters with the South Ossetia militia armed and ready to defend Tskhinvali and the surrounding area. At 4:06 p.m., the South Ossetian authorities reported that Tskhinvali had come under attack from grenade launchers and automatic weapons. Fifty minutes later, they reported 'large-scale military aggression against the Republic of South Ossetia'. According to Western intelligence sources, the Georgian artillery bombardment of Tskhinvali did not begin until 10:30 p.m. on that Thursday. It was orchestrated by 27 Georgian army rocket launchers capable of firing ordnance with a maximum caliber of 152 millimeters. At 11 p.m., Saakashvili announced that the goal of the operation was the 're-establishment of constitutional order in South Ossetia'.
But did Georgia's young elite misinterpret the importance of their own country and misunderstand the motives of its allies, friends and trading partners? That conclusion seemed more and more likely as war approached. But it would be the people who would pay the price."
1:27:22 PM 
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Telegraph: "More than 3,500 insurgents have been 'taken off the streets of Baghdad' by the elite British force in a series of audacious 'Black Ops' over the past two years.
It is understood that while the majority of the terrorists were captured, several hundred, who were mainly members of the organisation known as 'al-Qa'eda in Iraq' have been killed by the SAS."
PressTV: "The Dutch AIVD secret service has had an ultra-secret operation underway in Iran in recent years that was halted in connection with plans for a US attack on Iran.
The respected newspaper De Telegraaf reported Friday the 'ultra-secret operation' had as its aim infiltration and sabotage of the weapons industry in the Islamic Republic.
'The operation, described as extremely successful, was halted recently in connection with plans for an impending US air attack on Iran. Along with this, targets would also be bombed which were connected with the Dutch espionage action,' writes the Netherlands' biggest newspaper.
'One of the agents involved, who was able to infiltrate the Iranian industry under the supervision of the AIVD, was recently recalled because the US was thought to be making a decision within weeks to attack Iran with unmanned aircraft.
Among the potential targets were said to be not only nuclear plants, but also military installations that have been brought to light partly by the agency of the AIVD,' according to the newspaper.
The article was written by Joost de Haas, known for his good contacts in the intelligence world. Earlier, he got hold of an AIVD report which suggested that corrupt powers within Dutch police corps supplied weapons to criminals to liquidate other criminals."
1:02:09 PM
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