PEACE IN GEORGIA

Britain will propose creating a NATO rapid deployment force to defend mainland Europe while alliance troops serve further afield, in an effort to persuade member states to do more in Afghanistan. Reuter is reporting.
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Yestarday The Economist has started debating the West’s response to renewed Russian assertiveness. This event will last for two-weeks as part of an ongoing, Oxford-style Online Debate Series.
The proposition is, “This house believes the West must be bolder in its response to a newly assertive Russia.” What’s your opinion? With Russia’s recent incursion into neighboring Georgia, many Western governments are worried about the renewed Russian assertiveness. Is Russia’s intention to upset the current international order, or is it responding directly to the widening sphere of American influence in former Soviet countries? Can the European Union speak with one voice and take the diplomatic lead? Or must America protect the world order by standing up to Russia to prove that any form of aggression comes at a cost? Is this the dawn of a new Cold War?
Moderating this debate will be Robert Lane Greene, International Correspondent for The Economist. Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs will be weighing in for the proposition and Dmitri V. Trenin, Deputy Director, Senior Associate, Foreign and Security Policy, Carnegie Moscow Center will be arguing against the proposition.  Opening statements post on Tuesday, September 9 followed by rebuttals September 12 and closing statements September 17. A winner will be determined by popular vote and announced on September 19.
It is free to comment and vote but you must register first. If you want to take part in this debate go to this link

 

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August 28, 2008

RUSSIAN FEDERATION - LONDON - Russia has cut oil and gas supplies to neighbours and indirectly to onward customers in recent years.

The following is a list of some supply interruptions and the reasons offered for them. The Swedish Defence Research Agency, a government-linked body, said in a report in March 2006 that Russia had cut off exports on around 40 occasions. Moscow denies that it uses energy as a political tool.

 

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BalkanInsight.com

Russia's ambassador to Belgrade has thanked Serbs for their "understanding of the situation in Georgia". In a statement to Belgrade's B92 television, Aleksandar Konuzin said Moscow was grateful for “the sympathy showed towards Russians and Russia’s citizens” during the armed conflict over the breakaway Georgia’s South Ossetia province.

Associated Press writers in Europe, Turkey and the Middle East contributed to this report
Major international aid commitments to Georgia to help victims of the Russian-Georgian conflict:

_The International Committee of the Red Cross, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the U.N.'s World Food Program have been providing aid through long-standing operations in Georgia. In addition:
_ICRC dispatched the first of five new shipments of food and other supplies for 25,000 people.
_World Food Program sent two planeloads of high-energy biscuits.
_U.N. refugee agency has sent two planeloads of supplies and plans a third flight Friday.
_U.S. sent two cargo planes carrying US$2 million (€1.3 million) worth of sleeping bags, cots, medical supplies — including syringes and surgical supplies.
_Turkish Red Crescent has sent tents, blankets, bottled water and food, and a new truck convoy is to leave Thursday. Turkish government to dispatch medical aid.

The source obtained from:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080813.html

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I've just met with my national security team to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I've spoken with President Saakashvili of Georgia, and President Sarkozy of France this morning. The United States strongly supports France's efforts, as President of the European Union, to broker an agreement that will end this conflict. The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia. We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.

I just wonder, ok, obviously Russia would win, it's ridiculous to debate about it, but!!! They won the fight, will they win the war?

I just wonder, Russia says it is fighting in defence of Russian citizens in South Ossetia. Who will they claim to be defending tomorrow? Russians in the Ukraine, Russians in the Baltic states who are already members of the EU and Nato? Interesingly surprising... 

When Ms Rice uses tough words, saying Russia had "seriously overreached" itself and "This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbour, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it. Things have changed." I wonder what have changed and looking forward to those changes if so....

I wonder when Mark MacKinnon, a Globe and Mail reporter says Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili seriously misjudged the nature of how much help he could expect from the West , adding "Nobody wants to die for South Ossetia," does he wonder that there are other political-diplomatic methods in order to avoid such detriment ?! If EU didn't step in Baltic and other ex-communist countries' direction, would he mind about the same problems (that Georgia has) in Latvia or Poland? Or just because now they are EU citizens it makes differenece between Dead Georgians and dead EU citizens, Russian agression in Tallin and the same Agression in Gori?! does it?!! That is why EU and NATO should care more about those "others" inspired with joining western institutions. If Georgia was in NATO nothing would happen... Everybody wants to be part of some "family" .... and once some countries are In some their citizens openly start telling us how owful EU is and how much nobody cares about Georgia, saying why can't we be happy without EU or NATO knowing nothing about Georgias location, not saying about (at least) recent history and politics. May be EU should become less egocentric and more attentive to it's doorstep countries? Telling them that Russia isn't reliable gas supplier, I don't mean that Russia will be run out of gas or oil next week (even after 10 years). I just want to remind them one simle truth: Russia will use it's monopoly over gas supply as a weapon everytime it wishs. Sounds a  simple truth, but .......

I wonder if following comments are too exaggerated and just for public. "I don't mean to sound dramatic here, but I think this is the most dramatic foreign policy event since Sept. 11," James Carafano of the conservative Heritage Foundation told CTV Newsnet on Wednesday. "This will fundamentally change how countries think about how they're going to provide security in the decades ahead." And another: "The European Union cannot be indifferent to this war, these massacres on our doorstep," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.  I wonder, how?! 

I wonder, if Russian WAR-KEEPERS, oops, sorry "peacekeepers" leave Georgia tomorrow .......