What the heck do they think they are doing?
Relations sour as NATO expels Russian 'spies' (click here)
Luke Harding in Moscow
May 2, 2009
A ROW has erupted between Moscow and the West after NATO expelled from its Brussels headquarters two senior Russian diplomats it accused of spying. The expulsion came as Russia took formal control of the borders of Georgia's separatist zones and slammed NATO exercises due in the country....
Target...Georgia's opposition is accusing President Mikhail Saakashvili of turning the country into a police state. Photo: AP
MOSCOW (Reuters) (click title to entry - thank you) - NATO has expelled two Russian diplomats over a spy scandal, a move Moscow's ambassador to the military alliance said was intended to set back efforts by Russia and the United States to repair relations.
Tensions between the former Cold War foes (click title to entry - thank you) also rose on Thursday over pacts which Moscow said it signed with two rebel Georgian regions, giving it control over their borders.
The following are the key issues:
* NATO's expulsion of two Russian diplomats -- including the son of Russia's Brussels-based ambassador to the EU -- deals a new blow to efforts aimed at mending ties that were frozen after Russia's war with Georgia last August....
NATO is preparing war games for Georgia. The Georgian leadership not long ago launched a verified attack against its own people igniting an invasion by Russian Peacekeeping forces into Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Britain was one of the first nations to recognize the Russian claims of human rights violations by the Georgian leadership.
Today, NATO is preparing to carry out war games in a nation far from the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Kashmir and Iran. This, regardless of the evidence that the leadership within that country have committed human rights violations. It is an afront by NATO, along with the military escalation by Georgia, to 'The Six Principles to Resolve the Conflict' developed by Russia, while both South Ossetia and Abkhazia are developing autonomous economies and leadership.
It is difficult to believe this is the influence of the Obama Adminisration with its NATO allies. Some of the willingness by NATO to rearm Georgia and carry out war games is the inherent 'bad taste' Russian borders give to the allies of the USA. Europe always feels as though it is in Russia's shadow and seeks to build a 'Berlin Wall' between Russia and Europe with the arming of Former Soviet States. This is more than "W"rong in this case and sounds like an OLD 'Bush/Cheney' agenda rather than anything the Obama Adminisration would advocate.
Russia in this instance has the moral high ground. NATO is definately moving into Georgia while they are NOT NATO members, nor should they become NATO members. With leadership that commits human rights violations against their own people, there should be hearings at the World Court convened to examine the overwhelming evidence.
This is more than a surprise considering Secretary Clinton was more than looking forward to 'Hitting the Reset Button' with Russian leadership.
There is one aspect to this I realize Russia sees as unnecessary, but, would go a long way to assembling an understanding to solidifying global approval for its work regarding the atrocities of Georgian leadership. Russia sees no reason to 'formalize' its actions at the international level, except, to remain transparent to its actions and agenda.
It would be better if Prime Minister Putin addressed the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly with the evidence of the aggressive nature of the Georgian government and declare the country a threat to peace and stability throughout the region. While Georgia lacks borders and relationships with Pakistan, Kashmir, Afghanistan, India and Iran, any profound destabilization of the region could 'trickle' over to cause uncertain outcomes. At this point, with Russia showing interest in 'HELPING' to settle the issue with Pakistan/Afghanistan terrorist networks and cooperating with NATO to allow supply deliveries to the 'increased troop' levels in the region; it seems absolutely MORONIC for NATO to venture into arming and practicing war strategies with Georgia.
Heck, if the level of baffoonery continues by NATO; Russia has every right to pull the plug on Gazprom and stop cooperation into the Afghanistan region. Europe needs to realize it is in the "W"rong on this issue and move away from escalating 'fear' among former Soviet States that Russia is 'The Baddest of All Bad Nations' as propagandized by 'loose cannons' such as former Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky (click here), doubling now as a European businessman.
There is no reason to back the Georgian leadership or military in order to secure a New Berlin Wall of Former Soviet States. This is some of the more hideous actions by NATO ever witnessed in complete afront to a PEACEFUL Russian initiative to people of two small territories in fear for their lives.
Of Berezovsky:
"Mark Kramer (click here), Director of the Harvard Project on Cold War Studies and a Senior Associate at the Davis Center for Russian Studies at Harvar University, asserts that Berezovsky is "consumed by greed and very short tempered. He is not the type of person that most people would want as a friend.
I certainly hope RESETTING the BUTTON between the USA and Russia goes far better than this idiocy by NATO !!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a bunch of screwballs. Do I HAVE TO remind Europe the necessity for Russian influence in HOPES for Iranian de-escalation. The EU gives Russia every reason to re-think its new venue for peace initatives. What a bunch of jerks ! Georgia KILLED PEOPLE !!!! And maybe, just maybe, Bush and Cheney actually had something to do with that as well.
