Morning Papers - Its Origins

The Rooster
"Okeydoke"

I hope to do a review of the Traverse City Film Festival. It was the fourth year for the festival and it was spectacular.

Until then, let's hope peace in the world is still possible.

Every country in the world has a common enemy. Terrorist networks. No country needs conflict within or outside its borders. The USA has lost its focus to stopping the worlds most dangerous enemies and instead has indulged in zealous pursuit of Neocon priorities without actually defeating al Qaeda.

THAT reality, is not only a shame, but, absolutely amazing. Seven years and Bin Laden is still laughing at the USA. Amazing.

The Neocons 'do-it-again.' Georgia pushed its luck and Russia responded. You mean Cheney isn't declaring war? Oh. A lesson for Georgia.

Georgia wanted to join NATO. This year was a last ditch effort to carry out its plans. The result would have been disasterous and would have dragged Europe, Canada and USA into a conflict with Russia.

The enlisting of Georgia and the Ukraine this year into NATO would have spawned huge issues globally. Georgia took the aggressive position to invade a sensitive area of Russia while attempting to place a missile shield at their borders. It is plainly obvious what this is all about and quite frankly, Georgia is getting carried away with its priorities.

Georgia's David to Russia's Goliath.

Basically, Bush, Rice and Cheney has stated, '...we will play along, but, Georgia has to pull this one off on their own.'

Bush chronically attempts war with every sovereign nation on Earth at the expense of OTHER countries military.

I do believe the USA has a war to fight.

It started on September 11, 2001 and is based in Afghanistan.

Now that Musharraf is quite possibly impeached, we might even have half a chance of winning it.

HOWEVER.

It would have been far easier if Russia were at our side again.

Nato, Georgia and missile defence (click here)
I am just back from Tbilisi in Georgia, where I received this unorthodox welcome from a Tbilisi-based academic. “You have heard of the end of the earth. Well this is it. We are the last outpost of western civilisation.” This is not the normal Georgian line. The usual spin is that Georgia is a central part of the west - and always has been - apart from unfortunate periods on invasion by Mongol hordes (Tamburlaine passed through on numerous occasions) - or incorporation into various incarnations of the Russian empire.
There is certainly no denying Georgia’s ancient Christian culture and its historic links to Europe. The question for the Georgians is whether all this history will help them achieve their dearest political and strategic wish - membership of Nato. Right now they are feeling a bit let down because they failed to get a “Membership Action Plan” at the recent Nato summit in Bucharest, although they did get a promise that they will be Nato members - some day. The Georgians think things are a bit more urgent than that, since the Russians are (according to them) rapidly consolidating their grip in the break-away Georgian territory of Abkhazia.
I was in Tbilisi as a guest of the Brookings Institution, which had organised a conference on the “Frontiers of Europe”. My column for the paper next Tuesday will probably be about whether the west should accept the idea of a Russian “sphere of influence” that includes Georgia....

What is the CIA doing?

Georgia-CIA sting nets bomb-grade uranium (click here)
Radioactive material obtained on black market raises terrorism concerns
updated 11:53 a.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 25, 2007
WASHINGTON - Republic of Georgia authorities, aided by the CIA, set up a sting operation last summer that led to the arrest of a Russian man who tried to sell a small amount of nuclear bomb-grade uranium in a plastic bag in his jacket pocket, U.S. and Georgian officials said.
The operation, which neither government has publicized, represents one of the most serious cases of smuggling of nuclear material in recent years, according to analysts and officials.
The arrest underscored concerns about the possibility of terrorists acquiring nuclear bomb-making material on the black market, although there was no suggestion that the case was terrorist-related....

Flashback: CIA Aided Georgia’s “Rose Revolution” (click here)
By Congress Check in Uncategorized on August 8th, 2008
Schneider Home
January 5, 2008
The petals fall off the Rose
In November 2003 Georgia had its "Rose Revolution". The western media sat on their comfortable sofas, watched the news on their wide screen tvs, and declared a victory for democracy, a peaceful peoples’ uprising, and a glorious future under the Harvard trained Saakashvilli. Most of the world, myself included, swallowed this narrative. Bad, corrupt soviet leader Shevarnadze is forcefully ejected from his quasi-dictatorial throne by his own people, who yearned for European norms: human rights, democracy, membership of the EU, and membership of NATO. The people loved their new leader so much that 97% voted for him in the free and fair presidential elections the following January....


Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone. Evacuation


The evacuation from the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone started overnight on August 2, after Georgian forces began intensive shelling and sniping of Tskhinvali’s residential districts, which led to the seriously aggravated situation in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.


A total of 1,264 people, including 852 children, have arrived in North Ossetia from the conflict zone of South Ossetia. Another 400 children will be accepted by the Don Cossack Host in Russia’s Rostov Region and the North Caucasus Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, each taking 200.


General Mamuka Kurashvili, right, the commander of the peacekeeping operations of the Georgian armed forces.


A demarcation line between South Ossetia and Georgia in the peacekeeping forces’ zone of action in the village of Tserkov, the Tskhinval district.


An observation post of the peacekeeping forces from North Ossetia-Alania in the village of Tserkov, the Tskhinval district.

This is Bush diplomacy at work. Good job !!!!!!!!

S.Ossetia says over 1,000 dead after Georgian attack (click here)
MOSCOW, August 8 (RIA Novosti) - Over 1,000 civilians have been killed as the result of an attack by Georgia on the capital of its breakaway republic of South Ossetia, the North Ossetian nationalities minister said Friday.
"According to the South Ossetian information and press committee, the number of fatalities is estimated, according to preliminary information, at over 1,000," Teimuraz Kasayev said.
North Ossetia is part of Russia.
Georgia launched a major offensive early Friday morning using tanks, combat aircraft, heavy artillery and infantry.
Earlier Colonel Igor Konashenkov, an aide to the commander of the Russian Ground Forces, said about 10 Russian peacekeepers were killed and 30 wounded in the conflict zone.
The Russian Transportation Ministry's press service said Friday that Moscow would cut air links with Tbilisi....

How many other countries are responding with humanitarian aid to the people most affected by Bush's continual blundering?

Medvedev orders humanitarian aid for South Ossetia-2 (click here)
MOSCOW, August 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered that humanitarian aid be provided to people affected by the ongoing conflict between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia, the Kremlin said on Friday. (VIDEO)
Georgia launched a large-scale offensive against the province during the night, using tanks, combat aircraft, heavy artillery and infantry.
"The president has instructed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu and Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the escalation of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict," the Kremlin press service said.
According to various reports, a large part of the republic's capital, Tskhinvali, has been destroyed. South Ossetian authorities are reporting numerous civilian casualties. There are also casualties among peacekeepers....

I mean you have got to be joking. A US Missile Shield that is supposed to be protecting Europe from Iran.

Sure it will.

The current circumstances in Georgia is DIRECTLY related to the grossly incompetent diplomatic corps of Bush and their ability to 'boast' without soundly having a right to do so. Slight of hand doesn't work with Russia. It never has. A thinly veiled presence is for a bride not a military instillation.



During this administration, Georgia has never received this level of attention. It has committed troops as a Coalition partner and in exchange the Bush White House has lauded Georgia with praise and promises of a Missile Shield. That in the face of opposition by Russia to such aggression at their borders.

What's "W"rong? The USA not ready for a war on three fronts? Especially WW III?



David Mdzinarishvili / Reuters
Condoleezza Rice being greeted by Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili upon her arrival at the Tbilisi airport on Wednesday. (click here)
10 July 2008
TBILISI, Georgia -- Georgia on Wednesday accused Russia of sending fighter jets into its airspace to undermine a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Rice arrived in Tbilisi late Wednesday with a message of support for Georgia's government in its conflict with Russia over its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and to endorse the country's bid to join NATO.
The deputy commander of Georgia's military, Zurab Pochkua, said four Russian jets had spent a total of 40 minutes over South Ossetia on Tuesday night. He said Georgian forces did not fire on them to avoid loss of life on the ground.
A spokesman for Russia's Air Force declined to make an immediate comment. Russia has denied allegations in the past that its jets flew into Georgian airspace.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili said Russia was ratcheting up tension hours before Rice's arrival because it wanted to sabotage talks on Western countries taking a more active role in mediating the separatist conflicts....

History is made. China opens its spectacular Olympiad.

One World One Dream

That theme is especially important to China longing for a country united and properous. I wish them success. They certainly have proven to the world to be willing to step into the spot light, accept criticism and strive to be a country determined to provide 'a dream come true' to every participant with openness and fairness. China and its people deserves a round of applause for the diligence and dedication to come so far in achieving a goal many thought unobtainable for them. The Chinese are great people.


The Olympic rings are lit during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008. [Agencies]


General view shows Chinese flag bearer Yao Ming (R) leads his country's delegation next to nine-year-old Lin Hao during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008.The three-hour show at Beijing's iconic "Bird's Nest" national stadium is set to see more than 15,000 performers showcase the nation's ancient history and its development. [Agencies]

The real VIPs.

The athletes.

The Chinese delegation was impressive and widely representative of their people.

Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva waves to the Brazilian delegation during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 8, 2008. [Agencies]

Brazil hopes to join the G8 in the future.

There were leaders from many countries both big and small. There are a record number of countries attending this year and China welcomed them with spectular fireworks never before witnessed.

The people of China worked long and hard to bring the world the Olympics this year and have opened previously closed areas of the city of Beijing. The people of China have every reason to celebrate this event as a historic event in the annals of the Olympic games.


G8-BRAZIL: Guest Brings Biofuel Arguments to Summit (click here)
By Fabiana FrayssinetRIO DE JANEIRO, Jun 5 (IPS) - As a guest at the G8 summit this week in Germany, Brazilian President Luiz Inᣩo Lula da Silva will present arguments to convince the leaders of the world's eight richest countries of the importance of biofuels in the fight against global warming....


Fireworks light up the National Stadium in Beijing during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 8, 2008. [Agencies]




A young man waves a national flag of China as dozens of residents of Beijing await for the start of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in front of a large screen in the Chinese capital's central shopping district of Wangfujing on August 8, 2008. [Agencies]