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POPSThe Russians Are Coming The energy resources of Central Asia are also attractive to Russia "Where their energy comes from Central Asia, then I think that you will find that they will be moving to secure that because that is what they are using to fuel their resurgence." "Recently, we see the politics of China also, which does not have a military base but which is gradually and persistently advancing its influence in this region and in many other regions," After the Russia-Georgia conflict in the Caucasus, Russia has found the grounds to expand its presence in Central Asia
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POPS‘Israel of the Caucasus’ and just as warlike!!! The list of Israeli personnel involved in either supplying arms to Georgia or training elite Georgian military units speaks volumes for the extent of Israeli involvement in a country to which it feels close psychological attachment. Kezerashvili's ties to Israel have been well known since his father told the biggest-selling Tel Aviv daily, Yediot Ahronot, a year ago: "He has a lot of friends to this day in Israel, and he has maintained good relations with them." Recently, his pro-Israeli sympathies have been fortified by Saakashvili's typically over-the-top description of his country's role in the face of Russian aggression as the "Israel of the Caucasus"
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POPSWar in Georgia Result of "conceited" US Foreign Policy "A just and solid republican government maintained here will be a standing monument and example for the aim and imitation of the people of other countries; and I join... in the hope and belief that they will see from our example that a free government is of all others the most energetic; that the inquiry which has been excited among the mass of mankind by our revolution and its consequences will ameliorate the condition of man over a great portion of the globe." --Thomas Jefferson to John Dickinson, 1801. ME 10:217 A what kind of government maintained here will be a standing monument and example for the aim and imitation of the people of other countries?
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POPSGeorgia closes air space to Russia "If Georgia doesn’t provide an air corridor, Russia will find alternative ways of supplying its military base here," Aghabekian told EurasiaNet. "After all, Russia is bound by an agreement with Armenia that commits it to keeping the base combat-ready and on high alert. Russia will resort to any method to honor that obligation."
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POPSMoscow calls for anti-U.S. alliance While Russia has insisted it was not intending to supplant NATO, Mr Medvedev made it clear that the US-dominated alliance was partly responsible for the war in the Caucasus by its failure to rein in Georgian "aggression". This is the result of the U.S. throwing its weight around the world for far too long. It is human nature that if one person is constantly directing policy onto everyone else then that person is going to be knocked down for being perceived as a bully. The time has come for the U.S. to relax its role as self appointed world police and let other nations handle their own affairs or we will be “uninvited to the party”. Hopefully, future U.S. presidents will bury this old school ‘might is right’ mentality that Bush/Cheney revitalized when they took office.
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POPSTajikistan asks Russia to extradite activist Tajik officials have long been interested in muzzling Atovullo, but Moscow had not been receptive to the idea of shipping him back to Dushanbe - at least until very recently. Conditions have changed dramatically in the weeks following Russia’s incursion into Georgia, the Vremya Novostei article suggested. Seeking as much diplomatic support as possible for its diplomatic positions in the Caucasus and Central Asia, Russia now seems much more interested in making sure Rahmon is happy. Observers in Moscow have noted that, to date, the Tajik government has remained silent on Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of the separatist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Dushanbe’s reticence could be a ploy to extract maximum political and economic benefits from the Kremlin
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POPSIsrael closes arms deal with Azerbaijan Rumblings of Shi'ite political Islam have been particularly noticeable in the more conservative regions that border Iran, and the secular government has displayed concern over Iranian influence. Foreign news outlets have reported that the two countries maintain intelligence and security contacts.
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POPSThree major points from Russian-Georgian war
The West appears to have underestimated the strength of the Kremlin’s negative reaction toward NATO’s eastward expansion. Russia’s reluctant acquiescence to the Baltic states’ joining the Atlantic alliance was clearly misleading: Moscow did make some noise, but it was in no position to take any active measures of resistance, as Russia back then was still relatively weak. For the Kremlin, the establishment of a NATO foothold in Georgia would be an intolerable development that could spark a domino effect across the Caucasus. It would start with the internationalization of peace process in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, causing Russia to lose its monopoly on "peacekeeping" operations, and culminate with Moscow losing control over the South Caucasus - with the grave consequences for stability in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus autonomous republics. To prevent this from happening, the Kremlin "preempted" the Western move and, in a risky gambit, radically changed the situation on the ground.
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POPSRussia Not Immune to American Influence Perhaps to undermine the Russian Bear and China, this crisis will benefit some of the architects of doom. If the energy market of Russia and China's relentless expansion are threatening American interest, ie, oil, so why not create a crisis that takes most down and rewards the few we all know?
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POPSCaucasian Realpolitik The recent Caucasian conflict shows that among the great powers, Realpolitik still trumps principles and morality.
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POPSRussia seeks arms embargo on Georgia Lavrov also said Russia would maintain dialogue with the United States as long as there is even the slightest chance of reaching an understanding of each other's positions.
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POPSAttack on Mosque stirs anxiety in Azerbaijan A second explosion August 22 at a small power sub-station in Baku’s Khatai District frayed nerves further. The blast left two workers dead and three injured. Investigators are probing a connection between the mosque attack and the power station explosion. Authorities have proclaimed both incidents to be terrorist acts.
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POPSGeorgia is the graveyard of America's unipolar world Cont... There has been much talk among western politicians in recent days about Russia isolating itself from the international community. But unless that simply means North America and Europe, nothing could be further from the truth. While the US and British media have swung into full cold-war mode over the Georgia crisis, the rest of the world has seen it in a very different light. As Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore's former UN ambassador, observed in the Financial Times a few days ago, "most of the world is bemused by western moralising on Georgia". While the western view is that the world "should support the underdog, Georgia, against Russia ... most support Russia against the bullying west. The gap between the western narrative and the rest of the world could not be clearer." And that has the neocons scare witless!
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POPSSarkozy Calls Crisis EU Summit on Georgia, Russia German Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to supportive of this view. In a telephone conversation with the French President, she suggested that the EU convene a regional conference to address Georgia's reconstruction and wider stability issues in the region. But the conference would not include Russia, according to Merkel, who will explain her views in an article to be published in Der Spiegel on Monday. Earlier, while on a visit to Tbilisi on 17 August, the German Chancellor had lent her support to Georgia's NATO membership, moving away from a previously more cautious stance about the countries' affiliation to the North Atlantic military alliance. US officials have warned that the conflict in Georgia could affect Russia's membership of international organisations such as the Group of Eight industrialised nations and could undermine its bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
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POPSWhat are they afraid of If you had any doubts as to Russian designs on Eastern Europe and the Caucasus erase them from your mind. Russia knows that this missile shield is designed to shield Europe from Middle Eastern attacks.
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POPSGeorgian blunders lead to quick defeat "In light of the combination of fundamental tactical shortcomings and serious strategic blunders in the Georgian campaign to retake South Ossetia, it seems clear that the flaws in Georgian military planning were based on two key factors: an over-confident assumption of its own combat readiness and capabilities, as well as by a serious underestimation of the scale and scope of the Russian response."
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POPS Obama Takes Experience Lead Over McCain -- Again - there’s only one serious candidate in the race. Sister Toldjah McCain is demonstrating that when it comes to criticial foreign policy issues, his near 30 years in the Senate dealing with foreign issues as well as domestic, along with his long career in the Navy...... Hot Air Now, the media has awakened to truly historical events in the Caucasus, and McCain has commanded their attention with his leadership — while Obama hides in Hawaii. Macsmind You would think with 300 advisers THE ONE would have some words of wisdom from his Mount Olympus. The silence is more than telling and quite possibly a view into how Obama would actually handle such events as President. Surfs Up Dude! The New Republic McCain has had a prominent and strong presence in the news while Obama has been fairly invisible. Obama deserved a vacation but the timing–I assume his team figured the Olympics would drown out any other story.
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POPSMcCain Is Far More Dangerous For America The Cold War Warrior is on a propaganda Rampage. Reflecting the Era since Reagan at its "BEST". Clinton also, because the spineless Democrats are afraid and tied also to the Military Industrial Complex. Obama is faltering and will not want to loose all those jobs within the MIC. No clear direction or political platform coming from the Democratic Party. Spineless, dispicable.
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POPSPat Buchanan:'Georgia Started This Fight, Russia Finished It' Pat Buchanan has it right! Conservatives and republicans in particular should note what he says, instead of Bush. Georgia started this fight -- Russia finished it. Contrary to Bush, McCain, and yes Obama and the parroting MSM, Georgia was the aggressor. Georgia attacked and invaded first, and Russia responded to roll their aggression back. Read the article, he also shows the hypocrisy of Bush's condemnation and propaganda, as even the Democrats follow his false official story again. He also mentions the neocons are behind this agenda against Russia. (Buchanan vindicates my clipmarks on this subject precisely as I commented). Time to wake everyone up to this before the anti-Russia campaign foments more wars.
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POPSPutin's war enablers: Bush and Cheney And BTW, this is not "Blame America First" (which would mean Bush/Cheney are America? Yikes!) but putting the blame where it belongs. Exceeding his political priorities and invading a weaker neighbor, Putin. Enabling him, Bush/Cheney.
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POPSHey Congress! Georgia Attacked South Ossetia First!
Let Congress know who is being overlooked in the US-Russia-Georgia conflict--the people of South Ossetia who want and prefer Russian rule since their declaration of independence from Georgia years ago--whom Georgia attacked and invaded, killing civilians! Russia responded. Congress needs to stop listening to White House propagandists and see the real story, before they start a new Iraq conflict, with Russia, and even towards world war (i.e. NATO versus Russia and allies)! And Congress needs informed people to help wake them up to these documented facts: The Ossetians, a divided people with one section living within Russia on the north side of the Caucasus mountains, and the other in Georgia, generally felt more comfortable with Russian rule than as part of the new, post-Soviet Georgian state. A small and nasty war with Tbilisi in 1990-92 led to a declaration of independence Is it not the Ossetians that have the stake in all this, who will govern and rule them?
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POPSWelcome Back to the 19th Century Apologists for Russia can point to lots of mitigating circumstances, starting with the biggest one of Christmas Day 1991, when the hammer-and-sickle flag over the Kremlin went down for the last time, and up went the Russian tricolor. Poof, and a whole empire from the Baltic to Kazakhstan was suddenly gone. Yes, that chilled the Russian soul, and so did Georgia's love affair with the United States. How dare Georgia, the birthplace of Stalin, sidle up to the EU and NATO? In the greater scheme of things, though, Georgia's geopolitical crimes pale against a simple historical truth: 8/8 is payback for 12/25, when the Soviet Empire expired. That, as Mr. Putin has told us, was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century," and ever since he was anointed neo-czar in 2000, he has been working hard, and as time went by ever more ham-handedly, to reverse the verdict of the Cold War -- to regain what Russia had lost. By JOSEF JOFFE WSJ Europe
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