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Saturday, September 13, 2008 |
RussiaBlog: "A report (download the report in PDF format) from a British group called the DAIWA Institute (a research organization affiliated with the European branch of a Japanese investment firm) is interesting in several respects."
Washington blunders into an unwinnable campaign against Russia:
"- Contrary to the impression cultivated by Western media, the war between Russia and the West-supported Georgia was initiated by the latter. This salient fact has weighty consequences. Russia-West relations will never be the same again.
- In recent years Russia strove to launch a diplomatic process leading to a comprehensive framework for the safe-management of the 'frozen conflicts', but its efforts have been ignored. Moscow has little strategic interest in, and has long opposed, the recognition of separatists. This is also the main reason why it opposed the independence of Kosovo.
- The analytical mainstream, which holds that this is not a new cold war is mistaken. In fact we are witnessing a more dangerous confrontation. The Cold War with the Soviet Union never featured an attack on the Russian military by a Western ally in the Soviet backyard. Washington's persistent anti-Russian stance in Europe may risk an escalation reminiscent of the 1962 Cuban crisis.
- The United States is militarily overstretched and has few realistic options in its
responses to Russia. Russia on the other hand has numerous options and can inflict a lot of damage at a little cost.
- After what it considers a betrayal by the West, Moscow can indeed be expected to play hard ball. The West lacks the political and military resolve, while its strategic thinking is confused. Its credibility will suffer accordingly.
- Russia's aims, as expressed in the 'Medvedev Doctrine', formulated at the end of August, will not be accepted as legitimate by the West. The anti-Russian campaign will, therefore, continue to rumble on.
While Russia understandably was prepared for the Georgian attack and has pulled no punches in response, the fact remains that the US-financed and -trained Georgian military were the first to attack. The conflict flared up not because the allegedly
expansionist and autocratic Russia invaded Georgia to grab its territory, as the Western
narrative has it, but because Georgian forces attacked Tskhinvali, the capital of South
Ossetia, to impose Tbilisi's writ in the independence-seeking region.
Even a cursory look at the correlation of forces suggests that Washington's covert declaration of war on Russia is a folly based on the wholly unrealistic assessment of
the Atlantic Alliance's strengths and weaknesses. While NATO has been adept at enlarging its ranks, it is visibly and alarmingly failing as an effective military force, with its campaign in Afghanistan hopelessly undermanned, under-equipped and constrained by operational restrictions. The US forces, as well as the forces of its closest allies such as the UK or Canada, are overstretched.
While these objectives have been articulated with growing urgency since the start of the Putin presidency in 2000, the Georgian imbroglio prompted Moscow to publish on 31st August the following five principles, which is already known as the 'Medvedev Doctrine':
- Russia recognises the primacy of international law as the basis of civilised
international relations.
- The world should be multi-polar, with the uni-polar system deemed to be
unacceptable. Moscow rejects the notion that a single country, be it as mighty and influential as United States, can take all the decisions. Such a system is unstable and threatened by conflict.
- Russia does not seek confrontation with any other country. It has no intention
of isolating itself. It wants to develop as close relations with Western Europe and the United States as possible.
- Russia reserves for itself the right to protect the lives and dignity of its citizens
- wherever they may be - as well as to defend its business interests. It will respond to any aggressive acts against them.
- Finally, just like other countries, Russia reserves for itself the right to engage
in friendly special relationships with countries and regions, with which it has close cultural and historical ties. (To be precise Medvedev spoke of the pursuit of 'privileged interests').
Thus the only hope for an optimistic scenario is the possibility of a fundamental re-appraisal of US policies following the presidential elections. It is just conceivable that
an overstretched and war-weary United States, experiencing serious economic difficulties will modify its stance on Russia. Unfortunately, however, both presidential candidates appear to have adopted an almost identical anti-Russian stance and both have surrounded themselves with foreign policy advisors for whom 'standing up to an aggressive Russia' constitutes an article of faith. Thus, those hoping for a fundamental sea change in the US's stance on Russia should hope for the best but prepare for the worst."
With people like McCain and Palin at the helm a war seems to be inevitable, though I would not trust Obama on this either. The Western narrative, that Russia is the aggressor (while the US is standing at Russia's border with several missile bases!) is false. The West's chances of winning a confrontation are small. And the US has been exposed as an evil imperial power. We all know that. Only the obdurate criminal will deny that. The Western propaganda is failing. As far as Britain is concerned, the imperialist aspirations of New Labour (and the Tories) will fall with the fall of the American empire.
IndoLink: "Sarkozy's mission was very different than the American vice President Dick Cheney's trip to Georgia and Ukraine that looked like a deliberate move to provoke Russia. The Russians have already blamed him for provoking the conflict in order to have McCain win the Presidential election. Sarkozy tried really hard to calm the tensions on both sides. Sarkozy does not want Europe to become an arena for the third world war. Europe has suffered enough in the two world wars and is very reluctant to again become a battle ground."
1:38:26 PM 
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Yahoo: "Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced the release of a report prepared by the Majority Staffs of the Committees on Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs. The report, entitled 'Wasted Lessons of 9/11: How the Bush Administration Has Ignored the Law and Squandered Its Opportunities to Make our Country Safer', examines the Administration's performance on the requirements in H.R. 1, the 'Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007'. This comprehensive homeland security legislation was signed into law on August 3, 2007. The report surveys many of the key provisions and finds that little, incomplete, or no progress has been made on many of the key requirements of the law."
It figures, the 'war on terror' is just a scam to take control of the country, breach the Constitution and invade other countries illegally.
What the Bush regime did was create fear and do nothing about any real threats. Bush wants to keep the threat alive. So America can threaten and bully other countries.
NotMyTribe: "Just in time for this year's 9/11 commemoration, and in the spirit of deepening America's public commitment to the self- described endless Global War On Terror, comes THE CELL, a permanent museum exhibit to keep US citizens vigilant to the treat of terrorism."
The 'war on terror'.
Azzaman: "Iraqi Parliament's Human Rights Commission has found up to 200 malnourished and disease-stricken Iraqi detainees locked in a secret prison in the southern city of Basra.
The commission's spokesman, Amer Thamer, said many of the detainees bore signs of torture. 'They are crammed in a circular room surrounded with slabs of concrete with no roof,' Thamer said."
Sara Palin doesn't even know what the Bush doctrine means.
WashingtonPost: "Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would 'defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans'."
1:12:20 PM
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